(MENAFN- Swissinfo)
School start: a teacher with year 6 primary pupils in Neuenhof, canton Aargau, on Monday. Children in other cantons will go back to school in the coming weeks Keystone / Georgios Kefalas
Mass coronavirus testing in schools should continue, teachers have said, as concerns grow that the new school term will bring a spike in Delta-related coronavirus cases.
This content was published on August 10, 2021 - 09:00 August 10, 2021 - 09:00
Isobel trained as a journalist in Great Britain and speaks all three Swiss national languages. She reports on education for swissinfo.ch.
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The coronavirus pandemic is not yet over, warned officials at a joint press conference of the two largest teaching associations in Switzerland in Bern on Monday. Protecting the health of pupils and teachers is still of the highest priority.
The call comes as the first pupils returned to school after the summer holidays in the northern canton of Aargau. Pupils in other cantons will return to school in the coming weeks. Health measures in schools, like social distancing, handwashing, and ventilating remain in place for the new term, although older pupils are no longer required to wear masks.
Continuing regular mass testing of pupils would quickly identify new cases, said the German-speaking Federation of Swiss Teachers LCHExternal link and its French-speaking counterpart SER.External link
“Cantons that already implemented regular Corona tests in schools, such as Graubünden, found them a successful measure. It is up to each canton to decide if they want to implement regular corona tests in schools [in the new term],” Beat A. Schwendimann, board member of the LCH, told swissinfo.ch in email comments.
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Cantons Aargau, Bern, Zug and Lucerne for example have already indicated that they will continue with mass testing. Cantons are in charge of educational matters - and related Covid decisions - in Switzerland. Decisions can also be made at the lower, communal level.
Teachers have also called for CO2 measuring devices in classrooms to measure air quality.
Vaccine question
The question of vaccination – of both teachers and pupils – remains a tricky one. The associations are calling for voluntary, but priority vaccinations for teachers, Schwendimann said.
“As an essential and highly exposed workforce, teachers, who want to get vaccinated should have high priority. It remains each teacher's right to decide for or against a vaccination,” he added.
Currently the over 12s are eligible for the coronavirus vaccination with Pfizer and now ModernaExternal link in Switzerland. Canton Aargau has saidExternal link for example that it plans mobile vaccination stations on school grounds pupils aged above 15, with a possible extension to those aged 12 plus later on. Schwendimann welcomed this initiative for those who would like to be vaccinated.
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There is no obligation for teachers to be vaccinated in Switzerland, or like in Italy, show that they have been vaccinated, tested or have recovered from a coronavirus infection.
Elsewhere: schools and corona
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