WILLEMSTAD - Education union DOEN is not convinced that all conditions are met for a safe reopening of schools on January 17. The union wants to discuss this with the Minister of Education, Sithree van Heydoorn.
The schools will remain closed until January 17, two weeks longer than originally communicated. In order to make up for these lost teaching days, the Minister of Education has decided to cancel the holiday during the carnival period - from 28 February to 4 March. The union says it has not been heard in this matter even though the minister did say that it has spoken with union representatives about it.
Last night, the members of DOEN held a meeting to discuss this issue and took a position. According to the union, a number of points must be met before schools can open again.
Firstly, school boards must adopt a stricter protocol that guarantees the safety of all actors in the school. Schools must also have the resources to teach responsibly during this Covid-19 crisis.
In a crisis situation, all stakeholders must jointly support a decision, says DOEN. On January 13, the union will hold a general meeting of members to which everyone in the field is invited. This day focuses on how schools can function in a technically, pedagogically and didactically responsible manner post-Covid-19.