Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) yesterday urged the government to relax COVID-19 restrictions for the supplementary education and after-school care sectors, and to vaccinate workers in those industries before schools reopen in September.
Starting today, the Central Epidemic Command Center is to ease some COVID-19 restrictions on a conditional basis, although the nation remains under a level 3 COVID-19 alert through July 26.
At an online news conference, Lai said many supplementary education facilities are asking why gyms and movie theaters are being allowed to reopen, while they were not included in plans to ease restrictions.
Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
Lo Ching-wei (羅靖為), a working parent in Hsinchu, said that since schools moved to online learning in May, his two children, who are enrolled in grades five and eight, have spent long periods of time on electronic devices.
Such extended use of electronic devices is harmful for their concentration and eyes, he said.
Amid high temperatures, families are also struggling with the cost of electricity, specifically for air-conditioning, he said.
As family members spend more time at home, there has also been friction among them, he said.
Lin Shuo-yan (林碩彥), another working parent in Hsinchu, said it was contradictory for the government to relax restrictions for some businesses, but not for kindergartens and other educational facilities.
“As parents, we must place importance on children’s right to education,” he said.
The suspension of in-person classes, which has been imposed for more than a month, has affected students’ lifestyles and habits, he said, adding that parents are worried about how children can readjust to school.
After-school education facilities take students’ temperatures and disinfect their premises on a daily basis, After School Educational Association representative Hsieh Chih-fang (謝智芳) said.
They can implement disease prevention measures, including maintaining a distance of 1.5m between students and setting up dividers, he said.
Unlike night markets and other places for whom restrictions have been relaxed, after-school education facilities have fixed clients, he said.
The government has reopened businesses that should remain closed, and kept closed businesses that should be reopened, he added.
If the nationwide level 3 alert is lowered after July 27, there would be no reason to keep cram schools closed, he said.
He urged the government to finish vaccinating cram school teachers against COVID-19 before the end of this month so that they can resume classes.
Summertime is peak season for cram schools, he said, adding that many elementary and junior-high school students are sent to cram schools during summer break.
Workers at supplementary education and after-school care facilities should be vaccinated as soon as possible, as students would also be returning to those facilities if schools reopen in September, Lai said.
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