The COVID-19 pandemic has affected educational systems worldwide. In early March, the schools across the globe were advised to cancel in-person classes. Since students were asked to stay at home, schools had to rapidly change the entire teaching system to ensure that students would remain engaged with their studies.
Schools and other educational institutions tried to recreate the “classroom environment” by using digital channels such as Zoom or Skype. In other parts of the world, where the internet is not available on mass levels, schools used old-fashioned corresponding mediums such as written mail to continue the process of learning and education.
However, it has turned out that eLearning is not as efficient and effective as “in-person” learning. Online instructors tend to focus on theory rather than practice and students, especially those under 16, are losing the habits that schools teach them. Moreover, school sports activities also came to halt and there is a growing fear that students might lose their acumen for healthy outdoor activities.
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Schools Moving Towards Reopening:
There is an increasing discussion on how and when the schools should reopen. The Trump administration has aggressively pushed schools to fully reopen and in some states, students have already returned to in-person classes. As per the findings of CDC, death rates among school-aged children are much lower than among adults.
How Will Schools Look Post COVID?
State governments and local county governments are closely monitoring the situation and are working with health agencies to come to a solution that ensures a safe return to schools. This includes installing sneeze guards in public reception areas and making face coverings essential for students, teachers, and other staff. Cafeterias will remain closed and libraries will not open for a couple of months to come.
Here are some other steps recommended by health agencies for the safe reopening of schools:
- Parents should take the responsibility to pick up and drop off the kids at school. Only a limited number of students will be allowed to take the buses to ensure that the buses don’t get crowded.
- Schools and other educational institutions must consider hiring doctors and additional nurses or certified health personnel to ensure immediate health support to students and lead quarantine protocol activities. Schools must provide training to teachers, students, and staff on how to practice health guidelines.
- Students or staff members who are more vulnerable and have underlying health conditions must be supported and schools should consider providing them alternative options such as teleworking. Schools should also consider exploring extracurricular activities that engage students but do not put them at risk.
- Ensure healthy hygienic practices by providing masks and hand sanitizers. Schools should increase handwashing stations and also keep an ample quantity of alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol.
- Face masks remain the most effective way to ensure personal protection. Individuals in schools must be mandated to wear face coverings both when they are indoors and outdoors. 6ft distance cannot be continuously maintained, so face masks will help in preventing infections.
School Sneeze Guards | Student Desk Shields | Classroom Dividers
If schools have limited space in their classrooms and it’s difficult to maintain the safe distance between students, protective barriers can be used to provide physical separation. Sneeze guards for schools can be installed in classrooms as well as in other common places such as offices and labs. Schools must take initiatives to ensure maximum protection of faculty and staff by separating individuals using student desk dividers or other protective barriers.
Sneeze Guards For Schools by BlinkSigns
Parents, teachers, and the authorities are understandably concerned about the safety of students at school in the wake of COVID-19. We have introduced high-quality sneeze guards for schools that can help with the safe return of students to the classrooms.
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