Filenews 21 August 2021 - by Evangelia Sizopoulou
The fact that the vaccination coverage of the student population against COVID-19 is not even approaching 50% so far, while the countdown to the start of the academic semester is approaching, makes the debate around the type of student examination (PCR or rapid test) meaningless.
This is noted in a statement by the head of the Department of Studies and Student Welfare (YSPM) of the CUT, Vassilis Protopapas, relying on the image that exists so far around the whole issue, and submitting personal suggestions so that the restart of universities does not develop into a firework.
According to Mr. Protopapas, after a month of targeted actions at the CUT (information campaign, "Walk-In vaccination centre, electronic information form for vaccination with incentives / benefits), the vaccination coverage of the student population does not even approach 50%. He notes that "even if tomorrow our students rush in their hundreds to get the 1st dose of vaccine, there will not be adequate protection before the beginning of October 2021. Classes start on September 6, first-year students will arrive for the briefing week on August 30."
Regarding the discussion that takes place on how unvaccinated students will enter their courses (PCR or rapid test) and which, based on the above, he describes as meaningless at this stage, Mr. Protopapas states that "the SafePass control according to the decrees (in advance, universal, etc.), with more than half of the students unvaccinated, it is out of logical reality in a University. But, even if the perfect control mechanisms are magically invented and operated, the cases will be so many in the Fall that the vast majority of unvaccinated students will find themselves one or more times (for 10 days at a time) in mandatory self-isolation. De facto, we will either operate with half of the students in the classrooms or we will be transferred again remotely, entirely, after 3-4 weeks."
He also characterizes as meaningless the discussion about covering the capacity of halls at 50% or 80%, noting that "for the technocrats who managed the timetable in the previous semesters in the midst of a pandemic, either 50% or 100% is the same thing in essence in halls (auditoriums) as those of universities. Besides, the big problem when we talk about students and universities is not the distances in the halls / laboratories but their uncontrolled crowding when they are outside the classrooms. In the cafeterias, in the parties, in the excursions, in the groups".
Mr. Protopapas believes that "we discuss with the thought of who will be charged with the responsibility for the difficult decisions that we know must be taken", stressing that universities should operate with physical presence this September, for many different reasons. "But we cannot effectively control on a daily basis, from morning to night, in 50 different places, of any kind of SafePass, especially when it affects half the student population. Instead of a learning space, classrooms will be transformed into spaces of tension and conflict. I am afraid that we will experience scenes unprecedented for the university education of Cyprus", he notes.
Among the suggestions of the head of the YSFM of cut are:
- Right of access to the University premises to be given only to vaccinated or sick students.
- Students who choose to remain unvaccinated cannot be left out of the learning process. They can access the theoretical and laboratory part of each course through asynchronous tele-education (notes and other material in the module and other tools that have already been tested). Practical/ clinical practice (outside the University) is done with physical presence with the controls specified by the legislation. Final exams also require a physical presence, with the presentation of a SafePass. In the examinations, distances are observed anyway.
- The same possibility of distance learning should be given to vaccinated or sick students who for any reason do not wish to study in person.
- The coverage of seats in each room / laboratory, based on the above and given the implementation of measures such as the mandatory use of a mask, can reach 100%.
