Schools in Denmark and China return to a new normal

Schools in Denmark and China have reopened, but day-to-day school life is remarkably different as the threat of COVID19 still remains. In Denmark, class times and breaks are being staggered to avoid too many people in one place, and class sizes have been reduced by splitting into two groups. Pupils are also being taught in a more traditional way such as sitting separately in front of the teacher rather than working in small groups or having ‘carpet time’ in primary school. Hand washing has also become more important and art supplies are either removed or children are required to bring their own. Some schools in Denmark have also shortened the school day to 2pm and are encouraging lessons to take place outdoors to lessen the impact of the stringent measures on pupils. In China, precautions are even more extreme with all pupils and teachers having their temperature checked and hand sanitation points are placed around schools, as well as isolation areas for people that feel ill throughout the day. Post lockdown teachers are having to innovate and come up new ways to keep children safe and engaged. Simon McRoberts, head of an international school in Shanghai explains that staff seem to have adapted well to the new requirements. “We have learned many new skills along the way as a staff body. We are now much more confident with underused software that we had at our disposal and I am sure we will continue to use this as part of our teaching repertoire,” he explains. Read more here.