The Education Ministry says NFP Leader Professor Biman Prasad is clearly in election campaign mode and looking at ways to criticise the Government at every opportunity but Professor Prasad is stressing that they are raising issues about the safe reopening of schools because parents are confused, students are worried and teachers are in isolation.
A statement by the Education Ministry says if they had decided to keep schools closed, Professor Prasad would still criticise the Government on that.
It further says that whatever the Government does, Professor Prasad’s resolve is to go against it without any justification or facts.
The Education Ministry says Professor Prasad is trying to divert the attention of the public by making such statements that are not based on facts and scientific data.
In response, Professor Prasad says the Health Ministry and the Education Ministry need to sort out their communication because the Health Ministry seems to be cautious and diplomatic about the situation.
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Prasad says parents, school managements and teachers are calling them with their concerns and now the Fiji Teachers Union is saying 500 teachers are in isolation.
He says they know what the science says but the Education Ministry needs to understand that what UNICEF and WHO are saying is based on certain assumptions.
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The Education Ministry stresses that they have always taken advice from local and international experts and organisations, which are based on evidence and science.
