Communists and parents demand the return of students to schools, MASA still without a decision

This minister has offered three scenarios for teaching organisation, where education directors in Kosovo municipalities, as well as the Council of Parents of Kosovo, are demanding that students begin learning in school facilities, completely excluding the possibility of starting out in distance.

Besim Avdimitaj, head of municipal education directors, simultaneously education director in the Pec municipality, says all municipalities are supporting the first two scenarios, while rejecting online learning.

He says all municipalities are technically prepared to start the new school year, where distances will be respected according to IKSHK recommendations.

Everyone is technically prepared where schools are prepared to start the new school year. The third option is that option that the municipalities do not want, means online learning option, these two options depending on the capacity and number of students in schools are possible... the technical situation of schools is okay, where distance is respected. If there isn't a decision because of the pandemic we believe we'll start, otherwise if the health situation changes, of course there's no learning after”, he says.

Versions involving return to school facilities are most suitable for the Suhareka municipality. The director of education in this municipality, Remzi Bisselman, claims that only in two city schools is problematic because of the large number of students, while in other schools there will be no problem with the safety of the distance.

We're making preparations to always go back to school, because it's a requirement of all parties, parents, students and teachers that the process starts normally in schools. To that end, the Ministry of Education has prepared three options with which we have met... and we have taken these possible options. We like the Comun meet some very good criteria because we have objects that have enough space and we can start with Plan A, that Plan Do See the normal going back to schools. While Plan B is to go back to school and part of a long way to learning. And the worst plan is plan C, to develop a whole distance lesson”, he says, writes Kosovapress.

Even Kosovo Field Committee Education Director Islam Shabani points out that they are opposed to keeping instruction in distance, but support learning in school facilities.

Shaban says that for this most appropriate municipality is the B scenario.

The most appropriate “would have been Option B on us, because it's a combined method. The Option A's a little bit heavier for us because it requires the physical presence of students in schools, which we really have a little hard to do in city schools because of the great number of students. So let's see, we're working on this and within the week we're going to set it up and define what kind of variant we're going to go”, he says.

On the other hand, Education Director in the Gjilan municipality, Nazmi Gagica, says that despite having made all preparations for the start of the new school year, they expect a unified decision by the country's Government for all municipalities.

We expect a government decision on a unique decision for all municipalities. So, we're for a unique decision not to create lariman at a general level... based on analysis, based on the research we've done in time pandemic we've seen the risks and defects, so we consider that the first, second and third grade, also the passing of the sixth grade and the 10th grade are considered as problems, because we think that we should intervene. But, anyway, we still expect a unified decision at the level of the Republic of Kosovo”, Gagica says.

Complete conversion to school facilities for students is demanding the Kosovo Parents' Council.

The chairman of this council, Ymret Resiti, says they do not support the instruction at a distance.

The most appropriate and acceptable “for us and the students looking for is the first version of the ministry's teaching plan, so learning in normal school conditions, students going back to school... Our opposition directly relates to past experience of long-term teaching organization for the second half anniversary, meaning only in this context we've reacted because the assessments and findings all-intensive by NGOs, from those who have made surveys, and from parents it's that learning from the distance targets or expectations has not accomplished enough”, he said.

The decision on how the new school year will begin, Minister of Education and Science Rame Likaj, at the Government meeting on Friday said they will get it at the next meeting.

“They have expressed the wishes of the new school year started on school objects according to scenarios we have prepared. This mark plan presents the next meeting and requires approval of you”, he said.

The Ministry of Education and Science has preceded the start of the new school year under three scenarios, where scenario A includes present teaching in school institutions with preventative measures, scenario B means a partial return with complex-pressive learning and distance learning and a C-road scenario.