Covid-19: Various decisions about schools, from Europe to the United States

In Europe, countries have recently taken drastic measures to control the spread of COV-19 in schools, and in the United States, they simply will not reopen until it is further closed after last spring.

• read more: All progressions of the infection

In Germany

Classes were disrupted and schools and colleges were closed in mid-December to celebrate family holidays and avoid congestion in hospitals at Christmas.

These companies are gradually reopening from February 22, starting with small primary classes and splitting into half groups each day.

For colleges and schools, classes on some of the lander responsible for education policy should start face-to-face from next week.

United Kingdom

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the nationwide lockout, which went into effect on January 5. This will be phased out and the reopening of schools as a first step is considered a priority.

During the lock-up, children were considered “vulnerable”, essential workers were cared for in schools, while others received distance education from home.

In the UK, all students can return to school on March 8.

In Scotland, as in Wales, junior elementary school students returned to school on 22 February.

In Northern Ireland, students at the end of primary and middle school do not return to school until Easter.

In Spain

Since the start of the September school year, the country has not closed its schools, especially during the first waves, due to the long absence of students in the spring.

From the age of 6, the country has mandated the wearing of masks even on the playground or during play and especially emphasizes the ventilation of classes.

As for the teens, they switch between live subjects and online subjects, depending on the decisions of the regional authorities, to whom the academic ability falls.

In Scandinavian countries

Denmark closed its schools at the end of December (excluding kindergarten). After a sharp drop in cases, they reopened on February 8.

Since March 1, some colleges and schools have reopened, but most high schools have been sidelined.

In Norway, schools that closed last March have reopened. Authorities have since made the issue a priority.

Sweden has always kept its primary schools open.

The high schools, which closed last March, reopened in June before switching to distance education in December. This should mainly continue until the beginning of April.

In Finland, elementary schools (ages 7-13) reopened in May.

Secondary school students (13-16 years old) will return to distance education from March 8 in areas where the virus is most prevalent, such as Helsinki.

And Italy

The 20 Italian regions are divided into yellow (moderate risk), orange (medium risk) and red (high risk) zones.

In red zones, all schools will close automatically.

In other areas, schools may close if more than 250 out of 100,000 people are affected in a week, depending on the president of the region concerned.

In the United States

The situation of schools is different in different states and districts.

But millions of children have not come to school since mid-March 2020, sparking a heated debate over the educational delays that students have accumulated and the psychological consequences of virtual schooling.

Author Joe Biden’s administration hopes to create conditions for a quick reopening of advances in immunizations that will overcome the opposition of teachers’ unions.

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