Ntsoaki Motaung
Trainings or awareness campaigns to the head of schools about the Covid-19 related issues by the Ministry of Education and Training is not enough.
This was said by the Deputy President of the Lesotho Teachers Trade Union (LTTU) Letampu Mafaesa in an interview with Newsday stating that the trainings are not enough on their own.
“We appreciate the fact that the Ministry of Education and Training held some Trainings for the heads of schools but they are not enough. If they are coupled with us getting tested together with students and then Vaccination after would be a great move,†he said.
Mafaesa indicated that, it was his expectation that after prominent people and professional health workers, teachers and students would be vaccinated but that is not the case.
“The schools were closed because covid-19 cases seemed to be increasing in schools. We are open again and nothing has been done other than trainings. We expected to be tested and vaccinated so that schools will never have to close,†he said.
He stated that, when teachers and students are at the risk of Covid-19, all the nation is at risk because the same teachers and students are members of the communities and every day they go back to their families and it is possible for them to infect family members if they come infected from school.
“We do really think that the government should consider testing and vaccinating teachers and students. We will continue with the health protocols by the World Health Organization and the Ministry of health. We ensure the availability of water in schools to wash hands, availability of sanitizers, wearing of masks and social distancing,†he said.
He pointed of the challenges as the fact that some students go to school without carrying and wearing their masks claiming not to have them, while some wear those that do not entirely cover them efficiently adding that ensuring social distancing only happens when the teacher is around.