An open letter for proper safety measures in schools, by parent-led groups from 12 different countries:
- Ecole et Familles Oubíees – FR
- Parents et Enseignants Solidaires Covid19 – BE
- Sichere Bildung – DE
- Safe Ed For All – UK
- Idea Scuola – IT
- Förenigingen Covid-19, Skola & Barn – SE
- Plataforma CE16.7 – ES
- Bildung Aber Sicher – CH
- Sichere Bildung Jetzt – DE
- Covid Ecoles Quebec – CAN
- Parents United – IRL
- Scholen Veilig – NL
- CDS Kenya – KE
- Covid Scuola! – IT
- Derpa España and Padres Unidos – ES
Schools are a pandemic driver when there is community transmission in the area; there is a consensus on that in literature.
And experience from various countries confirms it. But children and schools are still overlooked and at risk.
In general, children with COVID-19 are less likely to have severe symptoms than adults, but severe forms and consequences occur. Additionally, increasing cases of children with lingering fatigue and other chronic problems, not linked to the severity of initial symptoms, are reported.
Thus, children should be protected for their present and future health.
At the same time, school safety is not up to standards. When there’s uncontrolled community transmission, in-person school attendance is risky and should be replaced by virtual-only classes, activities, and events.
When levels of community transmission decrease, schools have to be reopened, but only by implementing appropriate measures to protect students, teachers, administrators, and other staff.
We are parents from countries all around the world, united in our concern over the safety of our children.
We actively promote awareness and we ask for child protection through adequate covid19 school policy. Schools are crowded, indoor spaces, with many interactions throughout the day. It is necessary to adopt and diligently implement strong actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 inside the school and out in the community.
Children, when infected with the coronavirus, often experience an asymptomatic infection. Thus, mask wearing for all children over 6 year old and school personnel, testing students (and staff) and quarantining positive cases is the only possibility to prevent the spread.
We ask our governments to urgently adopt adequate measures for schools.
All of us have been asking for them for a while. Now, we join our efforts.
With parent-led groups from all over the world we prepared this open letter to ask them together.
Our main proposal:
