The Cabinet wants primary schools to operate normally in June, just like before the corona crisis. According to NOS’s source, this plan will happen only if the first weeks of the reopening run smoothly.
At Tuesday’s press conference, Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced that primary schools will be allowed to reopen from 11 May. Rutte called the decision a measure “that makes life easier for parents working from home.” Only half the children are allowed to be at school a day. This restriction doesn’t apply to special education, where they’re allowed to start immediately with all children.
Secondary schools are likely to reopen on 2 June, provided there are no outbreaks in schools in the meantime. Students must still keep a distance of 1.5 metres from each other there. The date on which the schools will switch back to regular teaching days isn’t yet certain. This could be as early as 2 June.
The National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) considers this decision safe enough because children play a relatively small role in spreading the coronavirus. RIVM’s director, Jaap Van Dissel, states, “We haven’t seen a single case where a child in the family is the first patient. Children aren’t the distributors, but the recipients.”
Protocol
On Wednesday, the educational organisations came up with a protocol: having primary school students come to school all day after the May holidays. According to the protocol, parents are no longer allowed in the school building and schoolyard. The primary schools can decide whether they want to adopt this protocol.
Source: NOS
Translator: Shufei
