All students should be tested before the start of the new school year: Alain Massen

During an interview on RTL Radio on Friday morning, Massen stated that the national Parents Council welcomes the suggested phase plan announced by the Minister of Education earlier this week. He agreed that there was a need for an effective and flexible plan which can always be adapted to the current Covid-19 situation.

The modular system includes different scenarios which can easily be switched between. This would allow parents to understand how different situations will be dealt with. Massen stressed that it was very important to relieve parents and students of any uncertainty. He added that the autonomy of individual schools and regions must also be respected, since the situation in cities like Esch-sur-Alzette was different than in villages in the country's northern parts. Massen concluded that the ministry's strategy was heading in the right direction.

The president of the national Parents Council also demanded that in the event of classes being split up again because of rising infections, organisation must be improved. The division between A and B groups should be done in a way that would improve the support families received while their children are at home. Massen cited video conference calls with school staff as one possible option, adding that splitting classes worked best in secondary schools because they could rely on different technological resources.

Covid-19 tests for all students before the start of the new school year

The council also demands the installation of test centres near schools, with the argument that this would be more practical, and more people would get tested. The association also demands that all students should be tested again before the new school year starts in September.

Massen went on to say that the additional tutoring should also be continued after the end of the summer holidays in order to fill in some knowledge gaps caused by the lockdown.

According to Massen, the communication with the Ministry of Education had improved. A meeting to exchange ideas is planned to take place sometime during the next two weeks. At the end of the interview, Massen stated that he wanted to start the new school year with a positive mindset.