What to expect from the next back to school?

Amid all the uncertainty and instability caused by Covid19, the Ministry of Education has already announced the start dates for the 2020/2021 school year as well as the school calendar and some measures that will allow the in-person return to classes.

The scheduled dates for next year are:

• 1st Term – starts between September 14 and 17, with the last day of classes on December 18
• 2nd Term – Begins on January 4, 2021 and ends on March 24
• 3rd Term – Starts on April 6, 2021 and ends on June 9 (for 9th, 11th, and 12th grades), June 15 (7th, 8th, and 10th grades), and June 30 (preschool and 1st and 2nd cycles)

The first five weeks will be dedicated to the recovery of the content that was not taught due to Covid-19 and the consequent distance learning. The Easter holidays will be shorter and the third term longer.

From September, the priority will be the in-person teaching regime, although the guidelines for schools also provide for mixed and non-presential regimes in case of a health regression. Students who benefit from school social action or are protected by child and youth protection commissions will have classes at school, even in mixed and non-presential regimes.

Regarding the return to in-person schooling, the Ministry of Education, together with the DGS, has announced some of the mandatory measures for all people entering educational establishments.

Mandatory Mask Use

The first rule to ensure safety in returning to in-person classes is the mandatory use of masks inside all educational establishments by everyone entering the school: teachers, non-teaching staff, parents or guardians, and also by students from the 2nd cycle onwards. The Minister of Education, Tiago Brandão Rodrigues, announced that masks will be distributed along with other personal protective equipment to schools for the return to classes in September.

Wash your hands

Hand sanitizer solution must be made available at various points in educational establishments and hand washing with soap and water should become a regular practice.

Timetable Division

According to the standards of the Directorate General of School Establishments (DGEstE), the class schedules must be organized in half-day shifts so that the student concentration within the educational establishments is reduced to 50%.

Preferably, classes should be taught in spacious areas. Whenever possible and without compromising the students' health, classrooms should be ventilated, keeping the windows and doors open, to allow better air circulation.

Each class must be assigned a permanent classroom, where students should have fixed seats. The desks should preferably be arranged in the same orientation and lunch hours should be staggered to avoid crowding.

Social Distancing

According to the guidelines from the Directorate-General of Health sent to schools, a social distancing of one meter must be ensured "whenever possible," a measure that has generated some controversy as it is a shorter distance than previously practiced. Whenever possible, physical distancing between students and between students/teachers must be ensured.

Finally, it will be necessary to invest in more professionals, as a budget of 125 million euros has been announced for the hiring of teachers, non-teaching staff and specialized technicians, including social workers, psychologists and mediators, to facilitate the recovery of students.

An additional 400 million euros will be invested for the launch of tenders to purchase computers and to ensure connectivity between 2020 and 2021, within the scope of the Digital School project.

In any of these scenarios, having a computer will be essential! Whether to study, do group work, reports or have online classes. At Digiplanet, refurbished computers are ready to meet the needs of students. To learn more click here.

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