COVID-19: A slow start to schools around the world

Denmark was the first country in Europe to reopen its schools for the youngest students. Following a decline in the rate of infections, Denmark’s plan is to slowly reopen the country. In addition to practicing social distancing and regular hand-washing, classes must be held outdoors as much as possible to limit the spread of the virus.

Children in Taiwan are back to school but school life has changed. At Dajia Elementary School, every student sit in desks with yellow dividers to prevent the spread of viruses through airborne droplets. Schools are using new ways like these homemade dividers to prevent the virus.

Students have returned to school in Shanghai and Beijing after months of closures. With smaller classes, temperature checks, strict social distancing, using face mask and hand sanitisers life is still far from normal.

Schools in Japan reopened in early April for the new school year. The Ministry of Health released guidelines for school reopening which include opening windows to ventilate classrooms, maintaining physical distance, checking temperatures daily, and wearing face masks.

Germany recently reopened high schools to high school seniors.The government has advised that schools give priority to graduating students when reopening gradually, so that seniors could take their final exams.

Norway has its youngest students back to school ahead of older pupils due to a decline in the rate of coronavirus transmission. As a precaution, the classes have been divided in to groups of children, no more than 15. Children have to wash their desks daily and take other precautions of social distancing.

Palestinian teachers wearing gloves and masks prepare exam seating card information to be distributed to high school students, in a school in the southern Gaza Strip.

An Israeli teacher sanitizes the hands of her students who are wearing protective gear upon return to school after the COVID-19 lockdown, at Hashalom elementary in Mevaseret Zion, in the suburbs of Jerusalem. Elementary schools were given the green light to bring back students of first through third grades, as the country looks to gradually transition back into a more normal routine after seven weeks of confinement measures.

Denmark: Most school keep social distancing rules in place while encouraging students to get back to school routine.