Belgium to reopen schools with caps on pupils

[MLMsuperfan]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52421723

Could this work in the UK?

That article doesn't explain... are the children only going to go 3 days/fortnight?

How would PT attendance work for Uni students or residential college students?

🤷‍♀️

This is interesting-a summary of how different countries are doing it...

Dates of Returning To School Buildings

Attempted to return face-to-face, then went back online
Northern Japan (they had mandatory masks, temperature checks, and parent choice)

Currently face-to-face
Jiangsu, China (no confirmed transmission for 2 months before they went back, still mandatory masks, 2 temp. checks/day, desks apart)

Tianjin, China (Grades 9 and 12 only, temp. 2x/day, desks apart, classrooms disinfected between each class, assigned seating in cafeteria, students leave campus immediately after school, parents fill out online health form every morning, parent choice)

Denmark (International School of Billund Facebook page includes a 5th grader’s video of a typical school day)

Returning April 26
Norway (Grades 1-4 only, 15 students/class, desks apart, shuffling some children into other classes to make 15/class)

Guangzhou, China (Only 8th & 12th, see how this goes, then stagger rest)

Returning May 4
Berlin, Germany (12 kids/class, students alternate face-to-face days, on home days they do PE, music, art, German, parent choice) (Another teacher reported Grades 12, 11, 10, and 5 only)

Taiwan (mandatory masks and temp. checks, government providing masks affordably to families)

Switzerland (ages 3-4, 7:1 student teacher ratio, if this goes well K-5 will return, no parents in building) (Another teacher reported K-9 returns mid-May, other grades June 9, school year ends June 19)

Shenzhen, China (Grade 9 May 4, everyone else May 11, no Kindergarten, mandatory COVID testing for staff and students before returning, desks and dining apart, temp. checks at entrance, only staff and students on campus)

Queensland, Australia (only for children of essential workers, all others online)

Shanghai (9th & 12th May 4, 11th & 8th May 6, 4, 5, 6, 7, & 10 May 18, body scan equipment at entrance for temp., each class includes infrared thermometer, hand sanitizer, tissues, extra masks, to enter campus scan code to show you have completed quarantine and not been in contact, must have at least 2 masks (school provides for teachers), entire school disinfected 2x/day)

Sweden (Staggered day and hour, only staff & students on campus, parent choice)

Tasmania (only students of essential workers, temp, extra hygiene, no parents)

Returning May 5
Seoul, Korea

Returning May 11
France (max 15/class, parent choice, mandatory masks)
Netherlands
Sydney, Australia (students stagger in-person learning 1 day/week, full capacity by July, online learning other 4 days) (Multiple teachers have confirmed government requires social distancing ONLY for adults (teachers), no social distancing for children)

May 17
Mexico (May 17 regions with no cases, June 1 for regions with cases)

May 18
Belgium (Only a few grades, 10 students/class, kids 12 & up mandatory masks, shortened school day, limited days per/week)

May 25
Luxembourg (one group taught in person, other group online for first week, then switch, no PE or cafeteria, International school, so many diplomats’ children)

June
South India (New school year starts in June)

July 1
Thailand

August
New Delhi
Philippines

No Date Yet
Ecuador
Hong King
Cambodia
Argentina
Quebec, Canada
South Africa
Indonesia
Italy
Abu Dhabi (teacher plans for next fall must include online units)
Hyderabad, India
Spain
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Scotland
Qatar (projecting online in fall)
Cayman Islands, Caribbean
Turkey

Thanks Appu certainly some common themes.

Japan changes back though?

How will it work for our keyworker children numbers if we go back with reduced class sizes?
So if due to parents shifts John is booked in to come in every day, Jane on Tuesday and Thursday, Mike on Thursday, Friday and every other Monday, how will that work? Will we have keyworker kids in then fit the other children around them? If we are having our 30 kids split into 2 or 3 groups and presumably repeating the teaching for each group, will keyworker kids end up repeating or missing out?

The whole rota with 10 kids in just sounds like chaotic hell. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to achieve either educationally or economically.

We’re in Holland and going back on the 11th
of May (as it says above), teachers will be full-time and children part-time. Primary schools only. Under-12s don’t have to follow social distancing rules here but they are nonetheless aiming to keep numbers down. Teachers will have access to Covid-19 testing.

We don’t really know the details yet but a keyworker friend will have her child at day care whenever said DC is not at school.

The whole rota with 10 kids in just sounds like chaotic hell. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to achieve either educationally or economically. —oh, regarding this: I think the main benefit is meant to be for the children. This isolation period has been really difficult for many of them and obviously downright dangerous for others. With the long summer holidays looming, I assume that this is partly to get many kids back on track psychologically before then.

We don’t really know the details yet but a keyworker friend will have her child at day care whenever said DC is not at school.

Have the day care providers remained open there or will they open as normal when the schools go back?

@notsureneversure - has childcare for younger children remained open full time for all?

Is it voluntary?

Child care has only been available for children of key workers. We have a system here where the government pays most of the child care costs in a sort of tax credits system, and everyone has been asked to keep paying the child care providers and the government will pay us back.

Child care is available to key workers as needed with no additional costs. Basically the govt is keeping the child care businesses afloat (well if they all go under we’ll be completely stuffed!)

Schools have also been open for children of key workers and ‘vulnerable’ children. I know that our local school has had a handful of children in each day with one or two staff members looking after them.

So if you’re not a key worker (the Dutch govt had a list of these occupations ready), you need to keep your child at home with you. I’m sure some employers have been horrible about it but many people I know are just muddling through and we’re all trying to cut each other a bit of slack.

@Keepdistance not sure if that was for me but I’ll answer anyway! Yes it’s voluntary. They’re usually very strict here about school attendance (fines etc) but before the lockdown started we were told that while schools were open, attendance would not be enforced. It will be the same when school goes back, I’m absolutely certain. Some parents (perhaps me?) are sure to have children with schedules that don’t synch, clashing Zoom meetings, whatever. And children with cold and flu symptoms will have to stay home. So it will all be a bit experimental, we’re just trying to find our way.

Oh, one thing I heard on the (Dutch) news tonight: the Belgian schoolchildren over 12 AND the teachers will all need to wear face masks at school.

In my large (800) primary school we only have one thermometer and weren’t able to get hold of any more. No PPE available. A significant number of staff shielding. Most of our support staff are shielding so I’ve no idea how we would meet the needs of pupils with EHCPs etc. We are having a maximum of 10 pupils in class while we are open for key workers and vulnerable children. Even with 10 it’s not proper social distances. Lots of our classrooms are tiny.

I am very worried about being asked to open more this early when the numbers of cases and deaths are so high.

Even with 10 per class in across the school that would be 280 parents (plus younger siblings) at the start and end of the day plus all the staff in every day.

Why do the kids need to wear caps?!

I’ve no idea how we would meet the needs of pupils with EHCPs etc

That is a huge concern. We are in the same situation-we have no TAs able to come in due to shielding letters (we didn’t have many left anyway) so our children with autism would have no support. Even if we could suddenly find agency TA staff (which we couldn’t the week before the schools closed) -the children would massively struggle to adapt to someone new.

Yes - it’s not about meeting need in terms of specific provision on their plan but actually keeping them and others safe while in the building. We also couldn’t get agency staff before the closures. Very worrying.

My 12 year old has an EHCP and is in a very small sen school (4 pupils to a class) he is in the shielding group (but imo he doesn't need to be and going to phone up doctors to discuss).
As his school is so tiny and they practice social distance anyway (Autism mostly so most like there space).
I think it would do him more harm staying of for months then going to school.
Only when infections are very low though.
However my younger children I would be a bit more reluctant as classes are very big and my 5 year old (likely Asd as well) would find it extremely hard to go in one day and not the others.
But I do get for some children having a day a week/fortnightly will help with integrating back.