Socially distanced schooling in Denmark

[Orangeblossom78]

Return to school, in Denmark. Any thoughts, could we do this? edition.cnn.com/2020/04/17/europe/denmark-coronavirus-first-school-intl/index.html

[Justajot]

Maybe they have much larger school buildings in Denmark. We certainly don't have classrooms big enough to space children out sufficiently or enough desks for each child to sit separately.

[Itisasecret]

No. We already are in some form with key worker children. Our schools are too small, too over crowded, understaffed and underfunded to manage it for everyone. There just is not the space or staff in schools in this country with over populated schools.

[Orangeblossom78]

I think, I read they are doing staggered days to have less children in. I know our primary did staggered times to pick up at the end before lockdown and we were not allowed to gather at school gates etc

[Letseatgrandma]

Absolutely-we could have ten to a classroom and could probably put a member of staff in each classroom (some would get a teacher, some would get a TA). We don’t have the outside facilities they seem to have there though so it really would all need to be inside as there’s no shelter or shade. We could probably have a ‘class’ in the hall/canteen and once in the library annexe as well.

Obviously we could only have 1/3 of the children in at once though, so they could each do eg 3 days each a fortnight.

I would presume we’d get the masks and COVID testing that they are getting in Denmark as well as deep cleaning by cleaners each session.

[Itisasecret]

Which is what we are already doing, it is just that the priority is key worker children and vulnerable children, not the whole school population.

[Derbygerbil]

How do staggered days work? Presumably either children are in for only half the time (logistical nightmare for parents) or teachers and assistants have to pull double shifts, which clearly isn’t sustainable.

[Orangeblossom78]

Germany and France are also making plans to open schools. Will be interesting to see how it is done.

"After a video conference with the heads of Germany's 16 states, Ms Merkel announced the gradual loosening of the strict lockdown measures.
Schools can reopen "gradually and very slowly" after 4 May, she said, with new safety measures for breaks and school buses, and priority given to those students with exams.
"It will be a great logistical effort and it needs very careful preparation," she said"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52299358

France www.thelocal.fr/20200414/lockdown-how-france-will-reopen-its-schools-after-may-11th

[stuckindoors77]

I would presume we’d get the masks and COVID testing that they are getting in Denmark as well as deep cleaning by cleaners each session.

On a practical note, could you actually teach in a mask? I'm struggling to see how that would work.

[Itisasecret]

Our schools never closed. That’s the point.

[SmileEachDay]

They’re dividing classes in 2 and having groups of 10.

We’d have to divide classes into 3 groups to get groups of 10.

We’d have to not have all groups in at once they’d maybe get a couple of days a fortnight? I don’t know how much help that would be to parents needing to work OR to any sort of useful curriculum delivery OR to children settling back into the swing of things before the summer break.

[Letseatgrandma]

It will be very interesting to see how Germany and France go about it. I don’t think many schools on Spain are going back to school before September.

[SmileEachDay]

On a practical note, could you actually teach in a mask? I'm struggling to see how that would work

I would teach in the manner of Hannibal Lector. My yr 10s would love it, dunno about primary though 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Orangeblossom78]

This is the thing we can learn from these countries ahead of us I guess. It is whether their situations are so different to be able to facilitate things differently I suppose.

[RigaBalsam]

[Itisasecret]

Not really, we are doing what these schools are doing already. Opening to a percentage of the school population we can do safely. We can not compare to places like Denmark, our trajectory is completely different. Our schools are overcrowded, under funded and understaffed. You would have children in a couple of days every two weeks. Which is why as a country, we are doing this already and have prioritised key worker children and vulnerable children. It’s not school.

[KoalasandRabbit]

In my child's secondary classes are currently between 30 and 36 with 6 kids of sides of desks in small classrooms. To get it down to 10 in a classroom you'ld only have a third of the kids in at any one time. Cleaning well they could add soap in the toilets for a start. Doubt any serious cleaning would be done. I would very much doubt the kids would socially distance or school group photos would stop - loads of groups of children hugging each other or standing touching each other on schools official Twitter pages day before schools closed.

[Keepdistance]

Our reporting focuses on the reopening not all the measures to make it safer.
And the fact it's only some year groups.

We should remove carpet spaces.
I dont see the point in alternating kids as it gets on surfaces it would never be cleaned well enough.
Unless only mon-thurs to allow 3 days to die off.
Im certain in the uk the kids will get it and pass it round the class. They wont test suspected cases and even if they did kids would have been at school beforehand and if asymptomatic for weeks shedding it...
Even masks im not sure would help or be practical for kids.
Tbh so much infection here im sure we will be starting another peak within 4-5w of release of Lockdown. As it only took that long.

Tbh it's a nightmare and i cant see what teachers and parents can do if they are concerned about their health or the child.
It would be easy enough at our school to put up shade for lunch/lessons.
If you only do say yrs 5/6 then they can soread out through the school

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

8yo DD had a lot of anxiety around school before this. She now has anxiety about going places where there are people. I don't think she could attend school under those conditions. One of the ways she gets through the school day is having hugs from her teacher.

I think there will be a number of parents who feel unable to send their children to school for various reasons- if they do start to reopen, it will have to be voluntary. I think the focus should be on getting the current Yr10&12s back into school, then Yr 9 and Yr 6, then working the other years in as the situation improves.

[nellodee]

On the plus side, I'd love to teach classes of ten.

I wonder how it would work with statemented students? They are not going to get a lot of support if their TA is 2m away from them.

[Letseatgrandma]

They are not going to get a lot of support if their TA is 2m away from them

Our 1:1 staff for those with EHCPs are all in the shielding group so won’t be back for some time!

[Fiderer]

In Germany - my son's back at school on the 27th as he's a school leaver this year, my daughter on May 4th as she'll leave next year.

Focus on 15-18 yr olds who are/will be school leavers.

It's 1.5 m distancing here which they've said will apply in classrooms and on the trains Max 15 students in a classroom so they'll be having one week at school and the next week at home.

Plus lots of desks/toilets hygiene regulations. Both children said it'll be a novelty to have soap let alone paper towels in the toilets.

[SmileEachDay]

Fiderer

Interesting. How many in a class normally?

[fishfingersrus]

My son went back to school in Denmark yesterday. The government here have very clear guidelines of things that have to be in place before a school can open. Staggered start/end to the school day, have to use a drive through drop off/pick up system. No parents entering the school. Year groups are using different entrances to school depending on where their class is. Each child has their own desk, 2m apart. Some classes have had to be split as should only be up to 12 students in a class. Good job our secondary students aren't back yet so some of those classes can be utilised. Teachers are encouraged to take their class out as much as possible, the school is lucky that it has a fair amount of outdoor space. Cleaners have been brought in so areas can be cleaned throughout the day not just in the evening. No one is being asked to wear a mask. Regular hand washing/sanitising is happening throughout the day.
Children have been put into small groups of 3/4 who they can play with at break times while maintaining the 2m distance.
My son was happy to return to school and see his teacher and friends. He says he likes having a desk more as he found sitting on a carpet tricky 🤪
The opening up of school seems to have gone smoothly (so far)
We opted to keep our 4 year old away from kindergarten though as the changes that have had to be made there are more extreme and we felt a bit too tricky for a four year old to understand and follow. We're lucky that we can make this choice as I'm on maternity leave.
Having said all this, Denmark have had much lower numbers of cases and deaths than the UK.
I think governments around the world have tricky decisions to make in the coming weeks and months.

[Fiderer]

My daughter's class has 18 students so don't know if they'll go for 9x2 with this split one week in one week out system.

My son's has 30 which is high for here but not unheard of as some students dropped out of the parallel class last year so they put everyone together.

I teach 10 -12 year olds and in my school 28 is the max class size. But we still don't know when we'll be back as I wrote the focus here is very much on school leavers.

Oh and on 9-10 yr olds in their last year of primary. Which I can partly understand as they'll be starting secondary in August but otoh my 3 did nothing in their last year once secondary registration was over in Feb. Lots of projects and running around the village. Can understand the school (education ministry) wanting them to keep up a school structure and the younger primary children won't be there.

[Fiderer]

That was to @SmileEachDay

@fishfingersrus. Interesting, Germany's gone for only secondary students (and last year of primary) as the focus here is v much qualifications. Lots of squabbling from national groups arguing the benefits of kindergartens and lower primary schools opening for the children's benefit.