SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Nov 9 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Education of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuela de Armas, has advanced this Tuesday that it is studying to apply reduced days of three hours in the centers of the Aridane Valley to guarantee the return to face-to-face classes.
In an appearance before the Plenary of Parliament, he commented that the Ministry holds daily meetings with technicians from Pevolca, Public Health, Environment and security forces to analyze, among other things, air quality, and when it is “unfavorable”, activates the digital class protocol.
De Armas has said that he is looking for a way to “soften” some measures such as that students can use a surgical mask and not FPP2 or that they go to the window at some moments but always “with the approval” of scientific specialists.
The counselor has indicated that the volcanic eruption has affected 23 centers in five municipalities and more than 5,200 students, relocated to the Los Llanos de Aridane language school, the El Retamar neighborhood center and the Princesa Cerina school.
He commented that the eruption “is a tremendous misfortune” that fully affects education and the objective is to “recover normality” little by little but “it has not been easy at all”, especially now with the presence of volcanic ash.
“There are many difficulties and we feel very sorry for the families,” he said, but “safety comes first.”
The counselor has also recognized that they are “concerned” about the second year high school students, who will face the EBAU at the end of the year, and about the cleaning of the centers, which is “very difficult” due to the incessant ash fall, hence teams have been reinforced once a week.
Regarding the scholarships, he indicated that it was a success to increase the term because the requests from La Palma have increased and regarding the suspension of classes, he pointed out that they wait until 6:00 p.m. to communicate it because the air situation “is very changing “.
De Armas has also said that protection material has been distributed between teachers and students and the delivery of technological equipment will be completed these days to guarantee online classes, in parallel with specific training for students.
“We are putting all the pillars that we need to move forward,” he said.
DAMAGE TO EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE: 12.5 MILLION
Matilde Fleitas, from the Socialist Group, has pointed out that the damaged educational infrastructures total about 12.5 million and valued that the inspections carried out by the Ministry “center by center” to guarantee safety in the return to classes.
He highlighted the effort of the Ministry to reinforce cleaning teams in educational centers without being its competence, the teachers and psychological support, the reorganization of school transport routes plus 22,000 euros per month in dining rooms and healthy breakfasts.
Fleitas has raised the possibility of installing air scrubbers to ensure that classes can be given on the most difficult days for air quality.
Vidina Espino, spokesperson for the Mixed Group, highlighted the “effort” of the teachers to adapt to the needs of the students and the Ministry itself, to seek solutions to an unexpected situation derived from the volcanic eruption.
He has demanded “more fluid communication” from the Ministry with the teachers, more telematic means to teach classes and psychological support, for the teachers themselves, “they are touched and many have lost their homes”, and the students.
Melodie Mendoza (ASG) has appreciated that the scholarship application period for La Palma students has been extended until December 31, regretting that the families, hit by the volcano, will have to advance the money because they will not be paid, as minimum, until the end of the year.
María del Río, from Sí Podemos, has demanded “extraordinary measures” for La Palma, affected by a great “emotional crisis”, hence she asked to adapt curricular content, lower bureaucratic tasks for teachers, more equipment in the centers, masks for teachers and students and better technological means to guarantee online classes.
In addition, he has indicated that a housing stock should be reserved for teachers displaced to the island.
YOUNG PALM TREES CONSIDER TO LEAVE THE STUDIES
Carmen Hernández, from Nueva Canarias (NC), has commented that psychological support in La Palma “is the most important thing” because many families have lost their homes, “their memories”, and now we must combine the covid protocol with the protocol of breathing of an air laden with volcanic ash.
He has warned that there are young people who are considering leaving their studies abroad because the families, who were engaged in agriculture, do not have economic resources.
Lorena Hernández, from the Popular Group, has highlighted that the loss of three educational centers shows the “magnitude” of the “catastrophe” suffered by La Palma, highlighting how “in just two days” a school was created in the neighborhood center of El Retamar .
He commented that “it is a challenge” to influence the improvement of work-school balance and expressed his concern about the need for financial aid so that no student leaves their studies and online teaching is guaranteed in all centers.
Sergio Rodríguez, from the Nationalist Group, has pointed out that the covid-19 “paralyzed the whole world” but now, despite the eruption, the lives of the affected families “continue”, with their added expenses, and he believes that there is a “lack of empathy “of the Ministry with some of its measures, giving as an example the” disorganization “around the announcements of the return to face-to-face classes.
Rodríguez, who is also mayor of El Paso, has asked for a “differentiated EBAU” for the students of the Aridane Valley because they are “at a disadvantage” with the rest of the students.
