Education Ministry should act swiftly to implement Covid tests at home or supply the teachers and school staff with protective gear to prevent transmission of Covid-19

The Education Ministry should act swiftly to implement Covid tests at home or supply the teachers and school staff with protective gear to prevent transmission of Covid-19.

The Ministry of Education on Nov 27 said primary school pupils would undergo mandatory Covid-19 tests based on a rotational basis every Wednesday in line with the National Covid-19 Testing Strategy set by the Health Ministry.

In objecting to the implementation of Covid-19 screening tests for primary school students every Wednesday beginning Dec 1 the NUTP secretary-general Wang Heng Suan suggested that pupils take the tests at home carried out by parents and that the parents of those selected to undergo the test should be told beforehand and supplied with test kitsl

The parents can then submit the test results by uploading images of the results to their respective class teachers.

Teachers who have been asked to conduct RTK-antigen Covid-19 tests for primary school students have complained that this was dangerous and puts teachers at risk as the teachers are not given any protective gear, such as personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves, face shields, among others, when conducting the screenings.

Members of Parliament are required undergo RTK-antigen Covid-19 tests twice a week, but the health personnel who conduct such tests are fully protected in protective gear.

It is therefore very unreasonable and most irresponsible on the part of the Ministry of Education to require the teachers to carry out the RTK-antigen Covid-19 tests of primary school children without any protective gear.

This will prevent Covid-19 transmission to teachers and school staff in the event pupils test positive.