School Opening: Scenarios for Elementary, Middle, and High School Reopening: What the Government and Infectious Disease Experts Say



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As the coronavirus continues to ravage various areas of the country, the government, in collaboration with infectious disease specialists, is planning the next day and the gradual lifting of restrictive measures.

According to the data so far, government personnel want to open the economy gradually so that there is no going back with the pandemic and it seems that they give priority to “unlocking” in the first phase of schools.

It is no coincidence that Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a conversation he had with students in the context of e-learning implemented in all schools in the country, said that the government’s priority is the gradual opening of the country to begin with primary school students .

“Schools will be the first to open when the relaxation of relaxation begins, with primary education being the first to resume lifelong learning,” said Mr. Mitsotakis, noting the gradual unlocking of school units, provided, of course, epidemiological data allow it.

The plan to remove the “lock” from schools

Decisions on when to reopen schools at all levels are expected to be made next week as the government awaits recommendations from the Infectious Diseases Committee, which examines and codifies all the latest evidence of the development of a pandemic, weighing whether the opening – in the first phase of primary schools – could overload areas with high viral loads.

Based on available information, it appears that the reopening of schools with primary school students will begin on December 7 or 14 with the following secondary school students.

The “green light” of the experts awaits the government

The direction of the Ministry of Education, in turn, is awaiting the suggestions of experts to announce the return of the students to the desks.

According to Education Minister Niki Kerameos, the top priority is to open schools, noting that there is a possibility that Primary Schools will open first.

“Decisions will be made in the coming weeks and depends on the epidemiological burden,” said the Minister of Education, noting at the same time that the most likely possibility is that they will open before the holidays.

Expert reflection

In recent days, information had leaked about the opening of schools on December 7 – in the first phase of primary schools – and then secondary schools, but no final decisions have been made yet, despite the fact that there is a ray of light for the small reduction of cases. , the number of deaths and the pressure on ICUs leave no room for complacency.

Scientists’ concern seems to center on two critical factors.

On the one hand, older children are under the microscope and the fact that they can become infected with the coronavirus and show symptoms and consequently transmit the virus to their families more than younger students.

The second point refers to the mobility of parents that will exist in the event that primary schools are opened, as it was clear, according to infectious disease specialists, that this mobility may have contributed to the epidemiological burden in specific areas.

This was also the reason why the government decided to close the Gymnasiums and Lyceums before the primary schools, as the Prime Minister himself had said, “older children, by having their own social life, probably favor the transmission of the virus much more than younger children. ”

With a quick test the opening of schools?

The subject of the opening of the school units was mentioned in the previous days by the representative of the government Stelios Petsas, who referred to a new aspect that concerns the subject, namely, tests aimed at students.

“However, before the schools open, we will implement a testing plan targeting children at different levels of our education, in order to see what the epidemiological burden of children is in relation to the community.” And then we will move on to the opening. We are going step by step, but schools will open, ”said Mr. Petsas.

It is recalled that middle and high school students across the country had started e-learning a week earlier than elementary students, but due to the outbreak of the pandemic, the government, in collaboration with specialists in infectious diseases, decided to also block elementary schools.

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