Time to get back to school

"We are already open for Leisure, now it’s time for Education. The tourist season has been prioritised, now it's time to open schools because education and learning is being harmed,” they stressed.

"It's not a problem for children to be in their classes, they have a different feeling of space and time than we do and they will have a great time if we give them tools and games in class," claims Esther Ureña, Psychologist and Associate Professor at the UIB who also said “the challenge children are facing is more academic than emotional, they’ve had no work or study habits for five months and although they’ve had online classes, they were not the same intensity.

Some parents and teachers are worried about sending their kids back to school at the beginning of the new term.

"We have to get children back to school because it is very important that they do not lose social skills, routines and conflict resolution," insists Ureña. "We cannot fail the children."

Reluctance

Ureña says she totally understands why parents and teachers are concerned, but points out that kids are well aware of the health protocols.

"Children are looking forward to going back to school with their friends, although they might feel a little bit nervous because of all the changes in their environment,” she said. “They have internalised the protocols, so they know what to do, how to wear a mask etc, so that offers some peace of mind.”

A raft of new measures have been put in place to make sure that children are as safe as possible.

“We don't doubt that Tourism is the basis of the economy, but now it is time to open Education Centres. We already know what has to be done to make sure the situation in schools doesn’t get out of control and reaching a consensus between Management Teams, Parents, Teachers and Educational Administration is key," said UIB Professor, Francesca Salvà. "This is not debatable: schools have to open and they need more resources.