The Ministry of Education on Thursday delivered a balance sheet on the start of the 2021 school year, which highlights that 51% of educational establishments (7,917) chose to take face-to-face or hybrid classes. Of these, 2.25% had Covid-19 outbreaks (understanding an outbreak as two or more cases with evidence of epidemiological link between them).
Currently 1,349 educational establishments – considering the parvulary and school levels – keep their doors open, as the vast majority of the national territory is quarantined and face-to-face classes are not allowed at that stage of the Paso a Paso plan.
At the school level, a total of 4,581 establishments had face-to-face classes during March. The kindergarten sector, meanwhile, had greater witness: 3,336 enclosures opened their doors, equivalent to 56% of the total (discounting paid private gardens).
As for those who exclusively provide parvular education, the presence was still higher: 3,336 enclosures opened their doors for children, representing 56% of the country’s total PE (the above does not consider paid private gardens).
With regard to the dependence on establishments, 84% of the particular schools paid opened, as well as 77% of delegated administration establishments, 66% of subsidized individuals, 53% of schools belonging to local public education services and 28% of municipal establishments.
Epidemiological surveillance
As of March 28, the Ministry of Health reports that the active case indicator for students who attended the establishment in hybrid or face-to-face mode has remained stable between 9.2 and 12.2 cases per 100 thousand individuals (Chile currently has about 270 active cases per 100 thousand inhabitants).
At the national level, meanwhile, of the total establishments that had face-to-face or hybrid modality during March, only 2.25% have had coronavirus outbreaks.
Vaccination of teachers
Finally, in the area of vaccination of teachers, the Minister of Education, Raúl Figueroa, stressed that this week the vaccination ends with the second dose for all teachers and education workers who have participated in the priority inoculation process carried out by the Government.
To date, 77% of all teachers, kindergarten educators, directors, administrators and food handlers who were given the opportunity to be inoculated preferentially were vaccinated; and the week is projected to end with 80% of education workers vaccinated.
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