The Union of Professional Educators - Voice of the Workers - on Friday again urged the Education Ministry to delay the reopening of schools until measures taken are more in line with preventative measures requirements.

In a statement, it insisted this was not a propitious moment in time to reopen schools safely.

The union said it felt that this is especially so in view of the fact that schools are not ready to confront such a serious, and potentially life-threatening, situation as the one being presented by this pandemic.

“Never before has the union felt the need to urge that schools remain closed more than this moment in time. The stress our educators are being subjected to due to the uncertainty behind the reopening of schools is way too high for any of them to be able perform adequately.”

The union insisted that the educational system was unprepared to safeguard educators and students.

Reactions from both members and parents further corroborated these concerns, the union said.

It added it was evident that much more needed to be done to safeguard not just educators and the students, but anyone else who may be affected, outside the school system as a result.

“As things stand, the numbers are way too high, and incomplete measures would only pose a threat on society at large: a threat which has made the possible irremediable consequences of infection stand out as our most vulnerable members of society are passing away daily, in utter solitude.”

The union asked how the ministry could accept to burden the consciences of people with the thought of possibly passing on the virus to the vulnerable members of society, knowing full well that more needed to be done to reasonably mitigate the spread of the virus.

“How can the ministry allow schools to open when, with the current measures in place, a safe reopening is a far cry from the health and safety measures required to at least minimise infection?”