With children returning to school PHIs call for greater vigilance

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The Public Health Inspectors Union (PHIU) yesterday urged parents and education officials to be vigilant about the safety of children at schools. PHIU Head Upul Rohana said that all students were now going to school and that increased their risk of exposure to COVID.

Rohana said that although many children had been vaccinated, it was better to be vigilant to ensure that there wouldn’t be clusters around schools.

“Parents have a great responsibility here. If their child shows any COVID symptoms, the parents must ensure that they are not sent to school. If there is a person with COVID symptoms at home, don’t send your child to school. We have also educated the teaching staff what to do, if a child shows COVID symptoms at school,” he said.

Rohana said that Omicron was spreading in the country and unless stringent measures were taken schools could become hot-spots. “If academic and non-academic staff and parents do their duty, we will be able to keep schools open.” Rohana said.

The PHIU Head added that students had already missed about two years of schooling and that the impact it had on their social development needed to be estimated. “It is at school that children often learn how to behave in society, teamwork and about values and norms. They have missed two years of schooling. This could have an impact on children, especially smaller ones. We need to look at this, not only about the impact on academics,” he said.