Dozens of parents from the metropolitan region came to Calle Fortaleza in Old San Juan today, Saturday, to demonstrate against the temporary closure of schools that various scientific groups have recommended in light of the resurgence in COVID-19 cases facing it. Puerto Rico.
Called “Open the Schools Now”, the group arrived at the edge of the Executive Mansion at around 10 a.m. and argued among its spokespersons that education, as a constitutional right, should be the last institution to stop offering services.
Watch the demonstration:
[AHORA] The group called “Open the Schools Now” is demonstrating in front of Fortaleza Street against the temporary closure of schools due to the high incidence of COVID-19 cases in Puerto Rico.
Posted by Metro Puerto Rico on Saturday, April 10, 2021
“Many of these children have lost their happiness and have suffered a lot of psychological damage and a lot of mental damage. They have stopped being children and the only place they can be is in schools. It is to share with people their age, said the group spokeswoman, Carmen Teresa Terga, also a mother of three.
“We respect the protocol, but we understand it needs to be revised,” he added in a conversation with Puerto Rico Metro
For his part, Lumy Mangual, mother of a six-year-old boy, for her part, said that the closure of school facilities cannot be justified while economic sectors are still open.
“We must follow President Biden’s guidelines when he said that schools, especially education, is an essential service. Here they vaccinated teachers knowing they are essential workers, but they have fallen short of the discussion,” he said.
The demonstration lasted until noon, with children carrying cards with phrases like ‘we want to go to school’, ‘I don’t want school on a computer’ and ‘we have priority’.
“We don’t prioritize children and we don’t prioritize education,” Mangual added.
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Likewise, Felipe Albors, a fourth-year student at Saint John’s School, said he felt abandoned by the government after the institution announced it would return to virtual classes after “spring break”.
“The saddest aspect of this pandemic was the closure of schools. We fourth-year students have waited our whole lives for this moment, not just to graduate but also to live in the fourth year. All the memories, all the preparations for college , and we arrive and see how society opens up aspects of the economy… and leaves us behind, ”the young man told the press.
“While the students are lagging behind, we cannot live what is the fourth year, we feel abandoned by this government and are furious,” he said.