Balearic education minister Martí March said on Wednesday that the school year will start as scheduled on September 10, but that it will do so in accordance Scenario B of the ministry's contingency plans. This means that teaching from secondary school second year onwards will be a mix of classroom attendance and remote, online classes.
March explained that schools have three scenarios for the new school year, which will commence with B. There are exceptional circumstances, he noted. "We want there to be the maximum possible attendance, but also the maximum safety. We are asking for the maximum responsibility of everyone and collaboration before the start of a school year, which is going to be complex. The initial idea was to start with Scenario A (normality), but given the epidemiological situation, we have had to move to B. There has to be control of risks."
With the government contemplating possible selective confinement (lockdowns of specific areas), schools have Scenario C for such a circumstance.
For infant, primary and secondary first year, pupils will attend school. This is so long as safety distances can be respected, with reduced class sizes dependent on available space.
For the rest of the secondary level, Baccalaureate and vocational training, classes can be a mix. They can be in person where ratios can be met and safe distancing can be maintained. Remote learning can be on alternate days.
Masks will be mandatory from the first year of primary schooling. There is to be "progressive" admission of pupils from the first day in order to avoid crowding and to be able to teach the rules. There will be a maximum of 150 pupils per day in schools.
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Mark Badoer, totally agree. Here in England is the same, so many conflicting guidance, daily change and to top it all, we really do not have a tracing system in place. Tests results are so late that by the time people receive them they may have infected loads of others. Self isolation for many is not an option , who can live on £95 a week ? nearly 5.5 million people across the UK are now claiming benefits - an 81% increase since March.. I do not know what the answer is, as there seems to be no stopping the virus and a effective and safe vaccine is months if not years away. Maybe shield the vulnerable and elderly and let the rest have the herd immunity. Sweden has had a steady number of infection but there is no second wave. They have not done better or worse than other countries but at least they are not facing this up and down situation.
I agree, it’s boggling and it’s going to get more bogglingly stupid very quickly, especially if people can’t make sense of the rules then they’ll falter in applying them. The Govt need to be honest about them actually using a managed infection strategy. Designed not to overwhelm the health services but to get enough people immune by surviving it to be able to break free of all the crazy restrictions. Mass immunisation is a long way off but desperate times and financial hardship are already here.
The inconsistency of it all is mind boggling. Then can be on a bus or in a car together to get to school, play sports, go out socially, etc. But at school, there has to be social distancing? The health services say A, government regulations B. What is it to be? This is in every country the same though. And this is the problem with failing governments, who cannot come up with a unified set of regulations and recommendations for everybody, so there is clarity for all.