A month after schools reopened in much of Europe, what are the new rules? How many have been forced to close? Anna Longhini looks at the situation in Italy and compares it with the rest of the continent

Longhini, Anna

English

LSE Research Online

Masks,	temperature-taking	and	an	app:	Italy’sapproach	to	reopening	schoolsA	month	after	schools	reopened	in	much	of	Europe,	what	are	the	new	rules?	How	many	have	been	forced	to	close?Anna	Longhini	looks	at	the	situation	in	Italy	and	compares	it	with	the	rest	of	the	continent.In	March,	over	76	million	pupils	in	Europe	had	their	learning	moved	online	–	at	least	in	theory.	With	some	childrenunable	to	access	computers	or	wifi,	the	experiences	of	online	schooling	have	been	very	different.	Since	September2020,	schools	have	reopened	in	much	of	Europe	and	most	governments	seem	committed	to	keeping	them	open.Will	this	last?	How	many	schools	will	close	(or	have	already	done	so	temporarily)	due	to	new	outbreaks?Italy	was	the	first	country	to	be	hit	severely	by	COVID-19	in	Europe.	Schools	were	closed	for	about	three	monthsbefore	the	long	summer	break,	and	the	daily	number	of	new	cases	is	relatively	low	compared	to	other	Europeancountries,	albeit	constantly	increasing.	In	most	Italian	regions,	schools	reopened	on	14	September	2020.	Accordingto	research	by	Lorenzo	Ruffino,	1,470	COVID-19	cases	have	been	recorded	up	to	October	7,	of	which	325	were	inLombardy	(which	amounts	to	13%	of	the	total	Italian	school	population),	147	in	Tuscany,	137	in	Emilia-Romagna,and	176	in	Veneto.	At	the	moment,	most	cases	(76,9%)	are	among	students	rather	than	staff.	To	date,	215	schoolshave	been	temporarily	closed.	For	comparison,	the	French	minister	of	education	Jean-Michel	Blanquer	declared	on30	September	that	there	had	been	about	1,000	cases	a	day	in	France	since	the	beginning	of	September	(out	of12.6	million	students	and	880,000	teachers;	Italy	has	about	8.4	million	students	and	about	850,000	teachers).A	pupil	has	her	temperature	taken	at	school	in	Italy.	Photo:	Radio	AlfaWhat	measures	have	been	put	in	place	in	Italy?	Before	schools	reopened,	the	government	offered	a	free	but	non-mandatory	screening	antibody	test	for	all	teachers	and	other	people	working	in	schools	(almost	50%	of	staff,	equalto	about	500,000	teachers	and	non-teachers	took	it),	and	distributed	face	masks.	The	‘Immuni’	app	developed	bythe	Italian	government	was	reportedly	downloaded	500,000	times	in	the	first	week	of	term	(to	date	6.4	millionpeople	have	downloaded	it).	The	app	is	thought	to	have	helped	contain	10	outbreaks	at	schools.	While	in	school,students	must	wear	face	masks	when	they	are	not	at	their	desks,	except	when	eating	snacks	or	lunch	or	doingsport.	Daily	temperatures	must	be	taken	at	home,	although	Piedmont	is	an	exception,	with	local	authorities	takingtemperatures	before	students	enter	school.	Some	parents	expressed	concerns	about	the	use	of	masks,	saying	theylimited	children’s	opportunity	to	play	and	to	interact	normally	with	their	classmates,	but	for	most	having	childrenback	at	school	had	become	unavoidable	(if	not	a	relief).Table	1:	School	reopenings	and	mask	requirementsCountry Schools	status Reopening	dates Mask	requirementsLSE Covid 19 Blog: Masks, temperature-taking and an app: Italy’s approach to reopening schools Page 1 of 2		Date originally posted: 2020-10-09Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2020/10/09/masks-temperature-taking-and-an-app-italys-approach-to-reopening-schools/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/Malta Partially	reopened7	OctoberFew	private	schoolsreopened	on	28	SeptemberCompulsoryRomaniaPartially	reopened.	238	schools	online-only,4,892	blended	learning,	12,610	fullyreopened14	September CompulsorySpain Mostly	reopened.	563	classes	and	116schools	closed,	according	to	STES	UnionEarly/	mid-September.Dates	vary	according	toregionCompulsory	for	over	6s,	if1.5m	distancing	cannot	bemaintainedUKReopened.	Reception	and	Y1-2	returned	inJune.	One	school	temporarily	closed;	16%	ofschools	have	shut	classes	for	a	fortnight1	September	(11	August	inScotland)Compulsory	in	corridors	inScottish	secondaries.Headteachers	elsewhere	havediscretionPoland Partially	reopened.	Online	or	blendedlearning	in	areas	where	infections	are	high1	September.	Progressivereopening	since	11	MayCompulsory	indoors	insecondariesItaly Reopened	except	for	temporary	closures14	September	(exceptBolzano,	7	September	anda	few	regions,	24September)Compulsory	except	when	atdesksGreece Reopened 14	September Compulsory	unless	1.5distancing	can	be	maintainedGermany Reopened From	7	August Generally	not	compulsoryDenmark Reopened 15	April	(primaries)	or	18May	(secondaries)Generally	not	compulsory.Headteachers	have	discretionFrance Reopened.	14	schools	temporarily	closedand	4,636	cases	confirmed	by	2	October1	September.	Progressivereopening	from	11	MayCompulsory	indoors	insecondariesCountry Schools	status Reopening	dates Mask	requirementsDespite	a	wave	of	new	cases,	a	complete	shutdown	of	schools	of	the	kind	seen	in	March	is	unlikely.	However,	whilesanitisation	protocols	vary	across	countries,	to	date	COVID-19	hasn’t	radically	changed	teaching	practice.	Forinstance,	while	the	climate	is	warmer	in	southern	Europe,	outdoor	teaching	is	not	even	close	to	become	a	standardpractice,	despite	a	few	attempts	being	made	to	encourage	it	–	for	example,	a	Vasto	primary	school	that	heldlessons	on	the	beach.	Nordic	countries	such	as	Denmark	and	Germany,	which	traditionally	let	students	play	moreoutdoors,	have	been	encouraged	to	do	even	more	of	it.	Strict	laws	holding	teachers	responsible	for	the	welfare	oftheir	students	may	have	discouraged	Italy	from	doing	the	same.COVID-19	is	no	cure	for	bureaucratic	inefficiency:	the	Greek	government	attempted	to	provide	schools	with	freeface	masks	which	turned	out	to	be	too	big.	In	Italy,	the	government	has	ordered	new	single-seater	desks	for	pupilsbut	they	have	yet	to	arrive	in	most	Rome	schools.Two	main	challenges	have	still	to	be	addressed:	improving	digital	learning,	as	even	in	Berlin	schools	seem	ill-equipped	for	it,	and	attracting	younger	teaching	professionals.	The	2019	EU	Education	and	Training	Monitor	hasshown	that	over	the	next	decade	a	wave	of	experienced	teachers	are	expected	to	retire.	Italy	has	the	oldestteaching	workforce	in	the	EU.	Younger	teachers	are	less	likely	to	have	a	serious	case	of	the	virus,	but	there	is	noshort-term	solution	for	this	problem.This	post	represents	the	views	of	the	author	and	not	those	of	the	COVID-19	blog,	nor	LSE.LSE Covid 19 Blog: Masks, temperature-taking and an app: Italy’s approach to reopening schools Page 2 of 2		Date originally posted: 2020-10-09Permalink: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/2020/10/09/masks-temperature-taking-and-an-app-italys-approach-to-reopening-schools/Blog homepage: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/covid19/

Masks, temperature-taking and an app: Italy’s approach to reopening schools

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Masks, temperature-taking and an app: Italy’s approach to reopening schools

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