Government still no decision over week break in schools

The week-long vacation was proposed to the Government on March 22nd, so that the epidemiological situation could be assessed by the end of this week and decided on better forms of development of the teaching process in the coming period, where it was mentioned online teaching.

This prompted numerous reactions by connoisseurs of education issues in the country, as the same are praising that schools are not prepared to continue teaching in a virtual way. As they reason on a week's rest, saying that lost hours can be compensated at the end of the academic year.

Even the Council of Parents of Kosovo has not agreed to this.

The chairman of this council, Ymret Resiti, says of Kosova priss, that the school's eventual closure would be against students.

The “is a hasty decision, it is an immature decision in terms of the responsibilities of state officials, who run an important sector for the state of Kosovo, such as the education sector. It's a non-law and factable decision because under these circumstances, asking to shut down schools when the cafes are full, when businesses work, local and central levels work, it's absurd. It's a huge damage being done to students”, he says.

According to him, an early break of a week would only serve the country's institutions to gain time to assess whether they would go with virtual instruction, which, according to him, had to be thought since the beginning of the pandemic.

It's been a year since we've faced the state of pandemic, we, like Kosovo and the whole world. So such a statement is really very disturbing to us because I don't know for a year the education institutions have thought about online learning or thought about something else... We did not become prey or suffer the consequences of some communities that have problems increasing the number of teachers or students. From the meeting I have had with parents' council of municipal parents, it turns out that many Kosovo municipalities haven't once had a school closure. Therefore, if Pristina, Peja or Gjilani problems, let them implement scenario A, B, C”, he says.

While the SBASK chairman, Nundman Jashari says of Kosova Preress, they have demanded that there be no classic school year break, but to pass on to the HINAline lesson.

According to him, the SBASAK agrees and will make its contribution to both variants, return to school banks, or even switch to distance learning.

For this, he says all institutions must be mobilised in order to create suitable conditions for all students to have the opportunity to follow the lessons in a virtual way.

The “conditions in Kosovo are too heavy, we have a huge lack of technology, even laptops, for teachers themselves. Families are known to have children in schools, all need to be involved in the learning process from a distance, and not to talk about a part of Kosovo where the Internet network has not even reached... We will do everything we can to achieve success as far as possible. But I seek understanding from my parents because it is well known that the learning process at school is something else, while online learning is kept just to avoid completely breaking away from school”, he says.

Facing recommendations for educational institutions to go on a week-long break, the expert on education issues, Yusuf Thaci, has also reacted.

He has argued that such recommendation comes from the IKSHPK in order to reduce the probability of spreading the virus, while adding that this lost week could be replaced at the end of the school year.

If IKSHPK estimates that there must be a break in the education process, to reduce the spread of the virus, then the proposal for a week-long break in education process in schools and universities (which falls nine days on weekends) is a much better proposal than the proposal to go online for two weeks. This lost week can then be replaced at the end of the school/academ year, in the hope that by then we will have improved the situation with the pandemic”, he wrote in his Facebook account.

On Tuesday, incumbent Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti has announced that after meeting with health and educational institutions, they have considered the possibility of starting teaching ʹonline) at all levels of education. But so far the government has not come up with any decision.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology Xhavit Rexhaj has indicated for KosovaPress that they are awaiting this decision.

“We are awaiting this decision. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology thinks it is the Government of Kosovo that has to make the decision to go schools on vacation one week”, he said via telephone.