The rise in cases could close schools

On Wednesday, March 17, 709 cases of COVID-19 were recorded, the largest daily number for 2021.

In March, 373 educators, students and personal schools across Kosovo's territory have resulted in positive results with COVID-19, Education and Science Ministry officials announce.

Of this figure, there are 189 infected students, 151 educators and 33 school staff.

In a response to Radio Free Europe, officials from the Ministry of Education and Science say 170 tests were conducted last week alone, while 130 of them have resulted in positive coronarys.

Just because of the rise that the number of infected persons in the system of education with COVID-19, the Ministry of Education has proposed that the education process be interrupted in educational institutions for a week by 22 March.

This proposal, this ministry has sent it to the Health Ministry in order to assess the epidemiology situation and establish for the development of the teaching process in the coming period.

The decision by the Kosovo government is expected to be made during Thursday's day.

Minister-in-chief of Education Xhavit Rexaj in a conversation for Radio Free Europe said the ministry does not prefer learning from distance, or online, because it is not quality teaching.

We estimate that you are not showing effects. It is better, then, for educators and students to stop for a week than to teach in a way that does not guarantee success. The other problem is in (the lack) of technology equipment”, Rexaj said.

Reshim: Schools are not the source of infection
Cutting off the education process is rejecting the Kosovo Parents' Council. Ymret Resiti from this Council, for Radio Free Europe, said schools are not the source of spread infection.

In Kosovo, he says, all businesses, central and local institutions develop activity, and in this situation, according to Resitaj, it is unfair to close schools, as this goes to the detriment of children who have also lost a lot.

These institutions have not well analysed such a decision. They have big dilemmas on how to manage pandemics and they think that with school closures everything can be solved. This is a big mistake. Even the countries in the region have not closed the” schools, he said.

The chairman of the United Trade Union for Education, Science and Culture, Nundman Jasharaj, even though it disagrees with the interruption of the teaching process, says the health of students and educators remains a priority.

Heart: About 30 percent of students and educators infected with coronarys
Free Europe Radio has contacted officials at the IKSHPK to receive information about the percentage of educational personnel and students infected, but the institution has not responded.

But, incumbent Health Minister Armend Zemaj, in an interview in Klan Kosova, on March 15, 2021, has said the “number of infected people in this system has reached 30 percent”.

However, Jasharaj, says this increase in cases is the result of the political subject election campaign for parliamentary elections, which were held on February 14th, 2021.

A credit card for the current situation in the education system, but in general, there are electoral campaigns, as the participation of citizens at these gatherings has been extremely large, without respecting the constitutional measures”, Jasharaj said.

Physical school training began in September of last year, respecting measures against the prevention of coronary - wearing mask, distance, and personal hygiene. The lesson has been developed part - time, as a result of keeping the distance, students in one class are divided into two groups.

Doubts in Online Teaching Quality
Dukagjin Pupovci, executive director at the Kosovo Centre for Education, says that if the epidemiological situation requires such a thing, then a more favourable vacation would be than a distance lesson. He says that the passage of the learning process from a distance to the current conditions in Kosovo reduces the quality of work at school and affects the students' results.

Under our terms it can be seen a little bit heavier because of infrastructure conditions in schools, our teachers are not prepared for online instruction. After this kind of teaching, educators in Kosovo have come under obligation, with the closure case taking place last year. And simply in our system it causes damage to students, such a issue is caused by developed countries, but to a lesser extent,”, Pupovci points out.

Pupovci: PISA will show the results of learning in times of pandemic
Pupovci points out that developing the learning process in various forms in pandemic times has contributed to lowering the quality of learning, not only in Kosovo, but in other countries as well. And that, according to him, will best be seen in the international evaluation programme. P ISA, to be held next year.

On this test, I believe that the effects of closing and learning disorder from COVID-19 will be reflected among all students of the world. But I believe that with students coming from countries in transition, where conditions for online learning are worse, it will be reflected even more. Therefore, I fear that PISA 2022, will not be an opportunity to show improvements in results, but rather there may be a deterioration of the outcome, since we have had considerable learning disorders already one year”, Pupovci points out.

For poor quality in education, Kosovo has been alarmed for twice again by P ISA, in 2019. This mechanism had ranked Kosovo 77th in the midst of 79 states, which have been subjected to this assessment. /rel/