EduMin Campeanu: We don't play with kids 'school's open - school's closed'

Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu emphasized, on Monday, that the decision regarding classes is taken weekly depending on the infection rate recorded on Friday and, presently, only the units in 13 localities must run classes online, according to the regulations in force.

He mentioned, at parivate broadcaster Digi 24, that those are five localities in Satu Mare county, two in Cluj and one each in Sibiu, Caras-Severin, Neamt, Arad, Dolj and Salaj.

The media reported that Afumati locality in Ilfov County (e.n. - Ilfov County completely envelops Bucharest) will have online classes starting Monday, but later the local authorities backtracked the decision after the infection rate for the novel coronavirus dropped, pupils being called to participate in classes in physical format starting Tuesday.

"The joint order of the Minister of Education - Minister of Health regulates very well, very clearly. At article 2, paragraph 3 it clearly states that the functioning scenario for schools over the school year will be updated weekly. Weekly, meaning once per week, with reference to the day of Friday. Friday means Friday, not Sunday, not Monday, not Tuesday. (...) The joint order of the Minister of Education - Minister of Health was the object of a CNSU [National Committee for Emergency Situations]. Friday saw 13 localities on the DSP website exceeding the infection rate of 6 per thousand. (...) They are the only 13 localities that have a legal basis to function online this week. Any other locality constitutes an unwarranted intervention of local authorities. It constitutes a breach of the joint Healthcare - Education order. We don't play with kids 'school's open - school's closed'," the minister stated.

Cimpeanu also said that he has made contact with representatives of the Ilfov School Inspectorate and the other authorities in the county and asked them to "quickly remedy the situation."

"I already made contact with the Ilfov County School Inspectorate, the other authorities in Ilfov. I asked them to remedy the situation quickly in the interest of pupils and, furthermore, I asked all county school inspectors in all counties of Romania to carefully read the joint ministers' order and apply it. The application of this joint ministers' order is not optional," he emphasized.

According to Sorin Cimpeanu, the joint order of the Ministers of Education and Health regulates "all possible situations".

"We regulated all possible situations at the level of this minister's order. This variant is far clearer and more explicit than any of the previous variants and must be respected for the benefit of children. I am convinced that given the way in which we called on legal provisions to be respected, there will be no situation where decisions fall afoul of the legal framework. (...) Friday is the only day of reference," the minister showed. AGERPRES