There has been a lot of talk lately about pandemic management protocols in schools, at a time when the test to stay is stepping up efforts to keep them open. While the problems that exist due to the protocols in primary, secondary and high schools are often mentioned, a lot of problems seem to be faced by the parents of children who attend kindergartens. According to what she told “P”, a mother of three children, in the last two years, her children had to be quarantined a total of 9 times, as they were case contacts, but they did not get sick.
They ask for a test to stay
As she explains, this is a stressful situation, which in no way helps the psychology of the child, who, where he plays with his friends at school, is suddenly locked up for days at home. She, like many other parents, hopes that with the introduction of the test to stay measure in kindergartens, this situation will change, as children will be given the opportunity, even if they are case contacts, to continue their education.
A mother of two, who is also facing a serious problem due to the many times that her children had to be restrained, stressed, speaking to “P”, that the necessary moves should be made immediately, in order to differentiate the strict protocols that apply currently in kindergartens. Many times, due to the protocols, contacts of a case in a kindergarten can be considered the children of an entire class, as in the kindergarten the system of the cross, with which the contacts in the other schools are declared, cannot apply. Therefore, a class can be closed while, for example, one or two cases have been identified, purely for precautionary reasons, with parents noting that it is necessary to apply the test to stay at these ages as well.
Rapid problem
While the majority of parents seem to be in favor of introducing this measure in kindergartens, the rapid test is the black spot. On the one hand, there are parents who are in favor of mandatory screening of children with rapid test, and on the other hand, there are those who react and ask for self-test instead of rapid. As “P” is informed, the issue of changing the health protocol for kindergartens is being addressed by a letter sent to the parents of the pre-primary by the Federation of Parents' Associations of Public and Community Kindergartens of Nicosia and Limassol respectively. The letter, entitled “Request of the Confederation for a change in the Health Protocol for kindergartens”, refers to its recent meeting, where the Pancyprian Confederation of Parents' Associations of Public and Community Kindergartens of Cyprus decided to conduct an investigation in each province. The subject of the survey, to which parents can answer online by tomorrow, is whether they agree or disagree with the intention of the Ministries of Education and Health to include in the next decree, the mandatory rapid test (or weekly, 72 hours etc.) and in pre-primary education. At the same time, the letter states that, in case the state decides to perform a rapid test on pre-primary children, the Pancyprian Confederation has decided to recommend a free self-test to all parents, so that children can be tested at home. The Confederation, in fact, proposes that the self test take place every Monday morning and in case of a positive result, the parent under his own responsibility notifies both the school and the Ministry of Education, for the activation of the protocols.
No control
According to “P”, many parents objected to the Confederation's decision to set up a self test, because no one can check that the children will actually be checked, so there is a question of safety for the other children, but also for the staff. Parents even seem to suggest as an argument that many kindergartens have already been closed by abusive parents who were positive themselves or their children and sent them to school. They also report that there were reactions in the elementary school in the beginning, but the children got used to it and now the test is done without any particular problems with a rapid test, while they also suggest that the Confederation ask for an opinion from a child psychologist before making similar suggestions.
