"We would like to base the work system in the coming school year on a traditional model, in which classes are held in schools" - the minister of education Dariusz Piontkowski said on Wednesday. Decisions on whether to organise remote classes for all or some children are to be taken jointly by headmasters, school supervisory bodies and sanitary services.
"Remote learning was only able to be organised thanks to huge efforts of teachers," education minister Dariusz Piontkowski said at a conference on Wednesday. "For quite some time now, we've been working on how to organise the new school year. We want the children to be able to return to schools safely, and we would like to base the work system in the coming school year on a traditional model, in which classes are held in schools," the minister explained.
No masks, but on bikes
The education ministry, together with the health ministry and the chief sanitary inspectorate, have been working on how to organise the new school year so that everyone could feel safe. "We've been working on these guideline for quite some time, and they explain in a rather detailed way how to organise classes, distribute meals, and how to react in case someone experiences health issues," Piontkowski said.
Such guidelines were already in use before summer holidays. "They've been modified based on our experience, and the experience of other European countries," said the minister. "Each school is different, and so headmasters need to adapt the general guidelines to their needs," he added.
One of the new rules states that face masks will not be mandatory at schools. The ministry recommends, however, to often wash hands and bearing in mind the rules of hygiene. "Only healthy students will be allowed at schools, the same goes for teachers and other staff," the minister stressed. He also encouraged students to use bikes as means of transport or, of possible, to walk to schools.
Three models of schooling
Within a few days, an ordinance should be ready regarding three models of school functioning: normal, mixed or fully remote. "Should the danger locally be higher than across the country, we want headmasters and supervisory bodies to have the authority to restrict the traditional way of schooling, after consulting the sanitary authority," said the education minister. The ministry will keep the authority to suspend traditional classes in parts or across the whole country, under extraordinary circumstances.
The Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) is working on guidelines for local sanitary stations, detailing when calling off classes is justified. The education ministry said that it should happen in case of confirmed infection at school premises, or confirmed spike in infections across municipality or county.
So far, a decision to grant parents additional allowance in case their children's classes were called off, like it was done in the spring, has not been made yet. "Such decisions are made the government, not by education minister," Piontkowski explained.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP