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ARGENTINA | 16-03-2020 15:13

Education minister tells Argentina's students: 'It's not a vacation’

Education Minister Nicolás Trotta announces plans to cope with school shutdown, after government suspends all classes until March 31 due to coronavirus pandemic.

Promoting options for distance learning and remote schooling, Education Minister Nicolás Trotta said Monday that the nation's children should continue learning at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Trotta announced at a press conference that the government had launched a new platform packed with educational content for primary and secondary schools, hoping that parents will "continue teaching" their students in the face of the crisis.

Although classes are suspended until March 31, Trotta warned students that this "is not a vacation."

The government was seeking to promote seguimoseducando.org.ar, a portal that brings together academic and educational material. "From this portal students will have all the tools to continue learning," said Trotta. 

He added: "We have put into operation today a special television programme for primary education in the morning and for secondary education and teachers [another will follow] in the afternoon." 

"It is a tool so that our children can sit in front of the television and have a task at home," he said at a press conference.

 "The platform will be a tool for the link between teachers and their students. The page does not consume data. The companies have ensured that it is free. We have to take advantage of these 14 days to take care of ourselves, educate ourselves and continue learning," said the minister.

In addition, he stressed that it was a project the ministry been working on for two weeks "not knowing that this would happen."

"We have to stay in our homes and guarantee the learning of our children and adolescents," he declared.  

Asked about the state of the schools, Trotta stressed that although classes are suspended, educational establishments would continue to be open to guarantee the operation of the canteens and interact with teachers. 

“We want all teachers to attend schools. Because they are important days to work the bond. Classes started recently, so it is different from August. We also want to guarantee the right to food, so the dining room will be open." 

The programme was unveiled through a decree in the Official Gazette.

– TIMES/PERFIL

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