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Schools in Scotland have already reopened
Teachers in England and Wales have been preparing to welcome children during the fall term, implementing safe measures for the coronavirus. But with 17% of school trips in England taken by bus last year and public transport capacity limited by social distancing, is transport a weak link in plans for a safe return to the classroom?
Children are at extremely low risk of getting sick from Covid-19, but the evidence on how likely they are to spread the virus is less certain. Professor Jonathan Ball, a virologist at the University of Nottingham, says the main concern is that students may transmit the virus to the community or to teachers.
And public transportation carries risks because it can be difficult to socially distance oneself, there are many points of contact such as handrails, and it is a relatively closed space, making it easy for the virus to spread.
Government guidance for England states that social distancing will not be necessary on dedicated school buses, which often transport the same group of children on a daily basis, although it should be in place whenever possible.
Schools have also been told to minimize the mixing of students in transportation, creating “bubbles” or groups of children who stay together throughout the day. However, the guide indicates that this may not always be possible, due to limited vehicle space and complex travel arrangements.
Professor Ball agrees that it will be difficult to keep the “bubbles” on school buses as different classes and age groups often travel together and therefore the risks of wider transmission are greater.
The social aspect of traveling to school also poses problems, he says.
“You are outside the confines and limitations of the classroom. People will want to talk to each other and it will be very difficult to control that.”
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Government recommended safety measures to lessen these risks include more frequent cleaning of buses, maximizing ventilation through opening windows and roof vents, and the use of face covers, as well as staggering schedules. start of classes. Face covering is now mandatory on public transport for children over 11 years old. This does not apply to dedicated school transport, except in Scotland where the rules change on Mondays, although they are recommended in the rest of the UK.
But some families still have concerns.
Rosalind Searle, who lives near Glasgow, where schools have already reopened, says her 15-year-old daughter is eager to catch the school bus she would normally take. Instead, it is being driven.
While Ms. Searle says the teachers have done a great job implementing social distancing and “bubbles” in the classroom, the trip to school has been a different story.
“They literally can’t because the bus is jammed,” he tells the BBC, adding that it is unrealistic to keep “bubbles” on the school trip. “At school they made changes to schedules and staggered lunch breaks, but I think [my daughter] it just feels like there is a little disconnect between that and the transportation situation, “he adds.
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Travel to and from school in England by major mode of transport
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43%Walk
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37%Car / van
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13%Local bus
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4%Private bus
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two%Bicycle
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two%Other
Source: National Travel Survey
In July, the Institute for Educational Policy highlighted the difficulty of keeping students in bubbles on a bus. She warned that currently “there is no credible solution” to the problem of students mixing with other groups and schools on the bus home.
Then earlier this month the government awarded £ 40 million to local transport authorities in England to create additional capacity in school transport for the fall term. Similarly, the ministers of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, where pupils have already started to return to school, have also pledged to provide additional funds to manage the increased demand.
It is up to the local transport authorities to decide how they spend the money. In London, where 250,000 schoolchildren used public buses daily to get to and from school before the pandemic, special additional services will be offered. More than 220 high-frequency routes serving schools will have designated “school services,” which, unlike regular buses, can be filled to capacity. Other authorities, such as Transport for Greater Manchester and Transport for West Midlands, are still in the process of allocating funds.
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The government expects more students to walk and ride bikes
Students are also encouraged to walk, bike, or use a scooter to get to school whenever possible.
At least 50% of school trips of two miles or less are on public buses, according to the government, which wants more people to commute by foot or bicycle to free up space. In cities such as London and Manchester, “school street” schemes have been introduced, limiting car access outside of schools at the back and forth times to make walking and cycling safer.
For those who live too far to walk, Rosalind Searle says the decision in Scotland to make face covering mandatory gives them some peace of mind.
“I think it will definitely make my daughter feel more confident about taking the bus,” she says. “She hasn’t been to school for about five months, so she just needs a little help with that transition.”
