TTUTA: Teachers have died from covid19

TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) President Antonia De Freitas said the association has information that teachers have died as a result of contracting covid19 while on duty.

Speaking on I95.5’s morning show on Monday, De Freitas said TTUTA has been keeping tabs on the number of cases in the school system since it reopened.

“Unfortunately, last term and this term a couple of our teachers contracted the virus while on duty on the compound at our secondary schools and they passed away.

“Right now, in certain secondary schools where the students have been out, we have entire classes on quarantine because children were positive, broke the quarantine and came to school. We have some that have made news, and some that are a bit more low-key, but we are aware of where the outbreaks are.”

Contacted by Newsday, De Freitas said she could not reveal the names of the teachers as the association did not have the permission of the families to do so. She also did not reveal the names of the schools.

“We are certain that it was contracted in the school environment because when they went out to school they were not positive. The information we had from colleagues and from family is that, and that’s all I could say about it. You have to ask the Ministry of Education why they have not acknowledged that fact.”

She repeated the association’s call that safety was of paramount importance as Standard Five and Forms 1-3 students return to physical school on Monday.

“One of the things that TTUTA has asked for repeatedly is that you should not have testing for schools run the same track as others in the society. Because if you want people back into school, there must be some type of mechanism where if there is a suspected case, the test can be done and the results expedited, so the adult or child could return to schools. We are yet to see that.”

She said teachers will turn out to teach on Monday as they have been instructed, although she wasn’t sure how many children would be present.

“Our anecdotal data is that there are some students who have not connected successfully, some who are not consistent in terms of attendance at virtual classes. There are parents who have expressed challenges financially, so we wait to see how many students will turn out on Monday.”

De Freitas said the association has yet to hear a definitive pronouncement that it was safe for children and teachers to return to school.

“We know we have to live with covid19. But for so many students in these different age groups to be all out at the same time, our preference would be for the Ministry of Health to announce that it is safe for all these children to be out, likewise the educators, and the parents to send the students to be out and about.

“Some of the students will be using public transport, and so their levels of exposure will put them at risk, put the members of their household at risk. So the safety of the students is what we’re concerned about in this regard.”

National Parent Teacher Association interim committee head Zena Ramatali said the group hoped that the Education Ministry would have put health protocols in place to ensure schools will be prepared, and classrooms are well organised to accommodate physical distancing, so children would be safe.

"Our most important concern is that our children will be able to re-acclimatise in the system in a safe and secure manner."

Concerned Parents Association of TT representative Clarence Mendoza said the group felt it was too early to reopen primary schools based on the remedial work that needed to be done.

“We are also concerned for Standard Fives coming out and contracting and spreading the virus, or going into quarantine for the 14-28 days and then having to miss the exams at the end of March.

“We think they should stay online until the middle of March, come out and do 14-15 days with their teachers.”

Mendoza said the group felt that students in forms one-three should continue with online schooling until September when appropriate safety measures could be put in place.