How have other countries managed?

[ps1991]

We’re being told that we’re not closing schools to enable key workers (NHS staff) who are parents to go to work and so that we’re not putting pressure on grandparents to babysit. I understand these points of view and they make sense, but many other countries have totally shut all their schools. How are they managing?

I’m a teacher and feel as though I’m going into a germ factory when I go to work even with the children practicing better personal hygiene. We have 1700 children, which is definitely a mass gathering!

Some countries (eg Belgium and Austria I believe, though that might have changed) are keeping some schools open with reduced staff for key workers' children.

Well the schools were the first thing to be closed here in Italy as they really are the place where diseases spread fastest. Everything has been shifted online - mixture of teachers videoing themselves, being available to answer questions on Whatsapp, scans/photos of handouts, google docs etc.. Parents are either working from home or sticking with their normal childcare arrangements. Can't quite believe that they've yet to shut on the UK.