More than 400 parents signed a petition by which they demand that the students should be allowed to return to school on September 1. Contacted by IPN, petition author Valeria Kuznetsova said distance learning is not accessible to all the children. Not all of them have computers and Internet connection to become involved. The students lack face-to-face communication with the teacher and classmates. The petition was formulated because there is now no predictability as to the method of organizing the new school year. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Research made no order to this effect.

The petition says that since distance learning was introduced in connection with the pandemic, the authorities haven’t taken sufficient measures to ensure all the children’s access to education and work conditions for teachers. They also didn’t take into account the fact that the primary school students cannot independently use computers and need to be supervised, while the parents have to go to work.

The parents ascertained that distance learning turned out to be inefficient. The students are deprived of personal contact with the teacher. As a result, there is no dialog and appropriate control. The same program of study designed for education in classrooms was applied in distance learning, but this is not right.

Valeria Kuznetsova believes social distancing and personal hygiene conditions can be ensured at school so as to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The countries where the students returned to classrooms are a conclusive example.

The collection of signatures on the petition started on July 5. Next week it will be submitted to the Government, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research and the Ombudsperson’s Office.

Contacted by IPN for a comment, secretary of state on education at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research Natalia Grîu said the regulations on the functioning of kindergartens are to be approved today. There was worked out a similar document for the reopening of schools. This document is being debated at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection.

“I would not like to comment on this petition as we get ready for the opening of education institutions, not for the resumption of distance learning and are confident that we will succeed together and will be ready to reanimate the education institutions by September 1 and will ensure a safe and protective environment for students, first and foremost,” stated Natalia Grîu.

She also said that no one knows how the epidemiological conditions will evolve until September 1. The Ministry plans to reopen the education institutions, but the reopening will be individualized, from institution to institution, depending on the number of children, the space they have, the transportation of children, urban or rural areas, hygiene conditions, existence of computers. Education could be combined – in the classroom and from a distance.

The education institutions of all levels were among the first entities that ceased operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic at end-March. Until the end of the school year, the students were involved in distance learning.