Covid-19 patients saturate hospitals in Costa Rica 3:54
(CNN) -
The Costa Rican Ministry of Public Education decided to suspend the school year from May 24 to June 25.
This break of almost a month will continue with the half-term holidays, which, according to the school calendar, is scheduled between June 28 and July 9, in such a way that classes will return on July 12 and will last until on January 21, 2022.
In a press release, the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) explained that the measure is taken in coordination with the Ministry of Health in order to mainly limit mobility throughout the country, in the framework of the covid-19 pandemic.
They warn about saturation in hospitals in Costa Rica and ask for measures to stop the spread of covid-19
Advance vaccination in Costa Rica
According to the MEP, during this interruption of the school calendar, it will also be used to advance in the vaccination against covid-19 of teachers, an issue on which the education unions insist.
"An unprecedented situation requires unprecedented measures," said the Minister of Education, Guiselle Cruz, adding that "it is not fair to increase the gap with distance education in which not all students in the country have the same opportunities and therefore they don't get the same results ”.
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Until this week, the school year will be dictated in combined, virtual and face-to-face mode.
What do the educational unions say?
In a joint press conference, the education unions assured that they have insisted that the school year be totally virtual and that both the suspension and the reorganization of the calendar is a measure of the MEP, which was not consulted with them.
The rescheduling of the school year also includes a Christmas break period, between December 23 and January 2.
The 2022 school period will start on February 17 and end on December 22.
The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, said that the percentage of educational centers that reported cases is very low, between one and two per establishment, with few exceptions.
However, he explained that the provision seeks to facilitate limits to mobility, "a maximum at this time," the official stressed.
According to health authorities, the daily report of covid-19 cases reached daily highs of more than 2,800 cases.
As of May 14, the total number of confirmed cases reached 282,741, with 221,903 people recovered, 57,291 active cases, and 3,547 people deceased.