To open or not open/ has become question of the hour in today’s time, given the difficulty of the situation various countries are in different stage of planning and reopening school. These decisions have been taken by national/state government along with local school authorities considering the wellbeing of students, teachers and staff.

Of 134 countries that have shut down schools 59 of them have already reopened schools and some are still planning too. 105 countries decided the reopening of schools as of 24 August 2020 but countries like U.S and India where active COVID-19 transmission complicate things are still figuring it out. Here’s a look at what various countries are doing to get kids back to school safely:

Southeast Asia      

In India, Nepal and Bangladesh schools remain closed with mostly schools (private) conducting classes online. As per the Indian governments Unlock 4 guidelines students of class 9-12 can visit school on voluntary basis beginning from 21st September to consult the teachers and get guidance on their courses. As the school now on verge of being partially reopened only half teaching and non-teaching staffs have been called to schools at a time. In Sri Lanka has allowed schools with no reported cases of COVID-19 to reopen partially for students that are writing National exam this year.

South Korea   

In South Korea the emphasis on academics is widely known with most kids commonly looking at 12 hour school days. The country deferred opening schools five times over two months period. A phased reboot was rolled out during the month of May and June starting with return of high school seniors and elementary and middle school kids but just weeks after reopening swathes of cases emerged the prompted closing of schools yet again. But some schools that are open have opted for hybrid face to face and online approach of taking classes.

Japan        

Some schools in Japan reopened after a summer vacation that was cut short to make up for missed classes during the early month of pandemic. It is mandatory for parents to check their children’s temperature every morning and enter the result in health report that teachers check once the student reach class. At one of the school these temperature checks are one in a 28 point plan to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission in school. Students in Japan are attending schools on alternate basis so that half the desks in classroom are left empty to make the distancing norms easier all students in classroom are supposed to wear the mask except while they are eating.

 

Sweden    

Adapting to one of the most controversial strategy in regard to pandemic the country decided to leave much of the society open including primary school which likely emerged as a fatal point leading to death of five times as many people due to COVID-19 same as Norway, Finland and Denmark combined. Some 95% cases of patients were over 60, although Swedish authorities stated that they have managed to stabilize the spread of contagion with citizens taking quarantine and social distancing measures seriously. During the month of June and July many schools and officers closed for summer vacation however Swedish law says that children under the age of 12 can’t be home without supervision. This means the fate of middle school and kindergarten students lies in the hands of country’s workforce.

France    

Despite a sharp and recent spike in coronavirus cases in France the nation is sending millions of students back to school to make sure the academic inequality among children doesn’t widen due to the lockdown, parents can also return to work as per the governments order. Teachers and students of both middle and high school are required to wear mask while in classes and in and out of school. Teachers and authorities of school have been instructed to limited gathering allowing one way movement in corridors, cafeterias will also reopen. Frequent contact points like door knobs are to be regularly cleaned including dining halls and tables after each meal. In addition some Parisian schools are giving out free laptops for children in case if the schools are closed again if the spread of contagion and swathes of cases are not contracted.