Back to school: the first big step after the lockdown

After months of distance lessons the students go back to school: so much excitement but also so much tension for the current situation.

Children and adolescents, finally, after a long time, are ready to return to school.

School : The first step to leave the lockdown

After many months of distance lessons, all children can return to school, but older pupils are obliged to take three voluntary Covid tests in the school and one at home independently in the first two weeks. In addition, with regard to secondary schools, there are staggered entrances to avoid gathering before and after the lessons.

It’s recommended that students always wear protections (masks) at all times, even in the classroom from their stations. This does not apply to primary school children, who are not even obliged to take any Covid tests on their return to school.

The decision to reopen schools also comes from the fear of the consequences for children and their future caused by an excessive closure. If on the one hand it is feared that all the anti-Covid indications will not be respected (spacing, masks and tests), students feel the need to return to real life, after months stuck in the house. According to a survey by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), parents would also send their children to school if this were optional (9 out of 10).

The difficulty that one fears to face, as already mentioned, is the possible refusal to undergo voluntary tests: a survey of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) took over 52% of the leaders had difficulty in ensuring parental consent for pupils to participate in the regular Covid-19 rapid tests.

Paul Whiteman, Secretary General of the NAHT Union of School Leaders said that this is a special week because it is a step towards returning to normality. Despite this, he admits that there is some tension and anxiety because it will not be easy to manage the whole situation and because it is not excluded there will be unforeseen events. For this reason the government will undertake to closely monitor the situation and to improve security measures.