Both teaching syndicates (SNE - Syndicat National des Enseignants and SEW- Syndikat Erzéiung a Wëssenschaft) understand the Ministry of Education's decision to close schools as of Monday. However, they expressed their concerns over delays in the syllabus as well as the psychological impact it could have on children.
The decision was taken based on the rapidly rising infections in schools. During this week of home-schooling, the government hopes to gather a better understanding of the virus' patterns to tackle the spread as efficiently as possible. Currently, laboratories in the country are sequencing the virus samples taken from affected schools to determine whether the British variant of the virus is involved. This variant had especially affected British schools before the Christmas holidays.
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The teachers' syndicates understand the severity of the situation and express their full support to the Minister of Education. Nonetheless, home-schooling has its limits, which is why the syndicates stress the importance of working towards moving back to in-person teaching.
Additional staff are needed in schools to help the children affected by delays in teaching that the virus has caused. The syndicates also stressed that children with socially disadvantaged backgrounds will need extra attention.
In addition to this, concerns were raised about the psychological impact the pandemic has on students. According to the syndicates, adults' anxieties are easily projected onto children. And as there is no concrete plan for teaching after the carnival holidays, children lack certainty as to when they will return, which could pose mental problems.
