A bit of air for Danish parents: these are the buts in open schools Abroad

The reopening of schools should give parents the opportunity to work from home more effectively. They no longer have to care for young children all day. Not all schools can open now. In approximately half of the municipalities they are opening their doors at the moment. It is unclear when the other schools will follow. In the capital Copenhagen, only 35 percent of primary schools open their doors.

Primary schools that open must ensure that adequate precautions are taken. For example, everyone must maintain a distance of at least two meters. It is not clear how this should be achieved, especially in the lower primary education groups.

Teaching outside

To comply with the rules, many schools go outdoors with children. This is more difficult in urban areas. Some schools offer outdoor instruction if weather conditions allow. For older students, desks are farther apart. In some schools, not all students can go to school simultaneously. Schools can individually assess the number of children who are welcome.

There is also additional cleaning, for example, door handles and an additional hammer for hand washing. Parents should also keep their distance when picking up and bringing their children. If a family member is ill, the child cannot go to school.

“Guinea pig”

Not all parents are happy with the opening of schools. An online petition, titled “My son is not a guinea pig,” was signed 18,000 times.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen glanced at a school in Valby, just outside Copenhagen, on Wednesday morning. She said she was impressed by the measures and found that the children were very happy to see each other again.

High schools and higher education will not reopen until May 10.

Schools closed four days earlier than in the Netherlands.

Schools in Denmark closed on March 11. In the Netherlands, that decision was made on March 15. On April 21, the Dutch cabinet will decide whether schools in our country can be reopened.

Denmark took far-reaching measures last month to stop the spread of the virus. The borders were closed and the cafes, restaurants, hairdressers and other things had to be closed. These measures are still in force. The country was one of the first countries in Europe to act.

Denmark is not the only European country to step down a bit now. In Austria, some stores reopened on Tuesday. In Spain, workers in some sectors were able to return to work on Monday.

Almost 7000 corona infections have been detected in Denmark. More than 300 people died from the virus.

In the Netherlands, the Education Association has announced that teachers are concerned about the reopening of schools.