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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Coronavirus: How do you social distance in schools? | Coronavirus: How do you social distance in schools? |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| The Scottish government is considering if it is feasible for children to carry out physical distancing in schools once the lockdown is over. So how can you social distance in a school? | The Scottish government is considering if it is feasible for children to carry out physical distancing in schools once the lockdown is over. So how can you social distance in a school? |
| What the government says | What the government says |
| The Scottish government says there are early signs that the impact of the coronavirus is being contained. | |
| It has published a new document outlining the basis of an exit strategy from the UK-wide lockdown that has been in place since 23 March. | It has published a new document outlining the basis of an exit strategy from the UK-wide lockdown that has been in place since 23 March. |
| A move away from the current restrictions would include the continuation of social distancing. | A move away from the current restrictions would include the continuation of social distancing. |
| The Scottish government said work was being carried out to study how "physical distancing" could be continued in schools, transport, businesses and recreation. | The Scottish government said work was being carried out to study how "physical distancing" could be continued in schools, transport, businesses and recreation. |
| How would this work in schools? | How would this work in schools? |
| First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that if social distancing continued, then people staying 2m (6.6ft) apart would put an upper limit on how many pupils could be in a classroom. | First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that if social distancing continued, then people staying 2m (6.6ft) apart would put an upper limit on how many pupils could be in a classroom. |
| "Do we have to take classes and divide them into two, where half of the class is there one week and the other half another week?," she said. "Or one half in the morning and the other in the afternoon?" | "Do we have to take classes and divide them into two, where half of the class is there one week and the other half another week?," she said. "Or one half in the morning and the other in the afternoon?" |
| Ms Sturgeon accepted it would be more difficult to get younger children to maintain social-distancing rules. | Ms Sturgeon accepted it would be more difficult to get younger children to maintain social-distancing rules. |
| What the teacher says | What the teacher says |
| Edinburgh primary teacher Blair Minchin pointed out that it would be much easier for a school in the Highlands with 15 pupils to social distance compared with a school in Glasgow with 800 pupils. | Edinburgh primary teacher Blair Minchin pointed out that it would be much easier for a school in the Highlands with 15 pupils to social distance compared with a school in Glasgow with 800 pupils. |
| He said the way schools now work would also have to be taken into consideration. | He said the way schools now work would also have to be taken into consideration. |
| "It's no longer sitting and looking at the teacher at your desk," he said. "We're collaborative, we're creative. We have kids move around the class. | "It's no longer sitting and looking at the teacher at your desk," he said. "We're collaborative, we're creative. We have kids move around the class. |
| "They're touching concrete materials, blocks and cubes. Would they need to be washed every time a kid touches one? And what about handrails on stairs?" | "They're touching concrete materials, blocks and cubes. Would they need to be washed every time a kid touches one? And what about handrails on stairs?" |
| Mr Minchin said that as a teacher who had been working in one of the hubs for the children of key workers, it was possible to distance small groups of pupils, but difficult. | Mr Minchin said that as a teacher who had been working in one of the hubs for the children of key workers, it was possible to distance small groups of pupils, but difficult. |
| "If you have a child that gets stuck its very hard for a teacher to socially distance from that pupil. Do teachers need to look at wearing really robust PPE?" | "If you have a child that gets stuck its very hard for a teacher to socially distance from that pupil. Do teachers need to look at wearing really robust PPE?" |
| He said bad behaviour also had to be considered. | He said bad behaviour also had to be considered. |
| "If you've got a kid that's throwing things, kicking off, what do we do? All these questions need to be answered before we look at opening schools." | "If you've got a kid that's throwing things, kicking off, what do we do? All these questions need to be answered before we look at opening schools." |
| What the architects say | What the architects say |
| The Royal Incorporation of Scottish Architects has offered to assist with classroom redesigns. | The Royal Incorporation of Scottish Architects has offered to assist with classroom redesigns. |
| Jude Barber, director at Glasgow-based Collective Architecture, told the Architects' Journal: "Given the spatial and behavioural challenges surrounding the pandemic, it seems only right that architects, landscape architects and planners should be central to the discussion and share their ideas and expertise." | Jude Barber, director at Glasgow-based Collective Architecture, told the Architects' Journal: "Given the spatial and behavioural challenges surrounding the pandemic, it seems only right that architects, landscape architects and planners should be central to the discussion and share their ideas and expertise." |
| But Alan Dunlop, visiting professor in architecture at the University of Liverpool, said the cost of the measure would be "prohibitive" and added: "Even if you could compartmentalise classrooms, there is the issue of common areas, such as stairways, corridors, toilets etc and the no small matter of parents and carers collecting and dropping off children at the same time. | But Alan Dunlop, visiting professor in architecture at the University of Liverpool, said the cost of the measure would be "prohibitive" and added: "Even if you could compartmentalise classrooms, there is the issue of common areas, such as stairways, corridors, toilets etc and the no small matter of parents and carers collecting and dropping off children at the same time. |
| "I have never seen a retrofit school that works particularly well and certainly none that would promote learning." | "I have never seen a retrofit school that works particularly well and certainly none that would promote learning." |
| What has happened in other countries? | What has happened in other countries? |
| In Denmark, which was among the first countries to impose a lockdown, children up to the age of 11 have been returning to nurseries and schools. | In Denmark, which was among the first countries to impose a lockdown, children up to the age of 11 have been returning to nurseries and schools. |
| Elisa Rimpler of the BUPL, the Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators, said: "We have a lot of washing hands during the day. We don't have masks and we have to keep a good distance from each other so that's a very difficult task." | Elisa Rimpler of the BUPL, the Danish Union of Early Childhood and Youth Educators, said: "We have a lot of washing hands during the day. We don't have masks and we have to keep a good distance from each other so that's a very difficult task." |
| Germany has also begun to allow pupils back into schools but have separated desks to keep to social distancing rules. | Germany has also begun to allow pupils back into schools but have separated desks to keep to social distancing rules. |
| In Berlin, the oldest children went back to class on Monday to take their final exams. The 16-year-olds will follow next week, with other age-groups following in stages over the coming months. | In Berlin, the oldest children went back to class on Monday to take their final exams. The 16-year-olds will follow next week, with other age-groups following in stages over the coming months. |
| In Norway, kindergartens have already opened and there will be a partial reopening of high schools and universities from Monday. | In Norway, kindergartens have already opened and there will be a partial reopening of high schools and universities from Monday. |
| In France, primary school pupils will start to go back, in classes of no more than 15, from 11 May. | In France, primary school pupils will start to go back, in classes of no more than 15, from 11 May. |
| In the Netherlands, they will go back on a part-time basis, on the same date, with secondary pupils returning from 1 June. | In the Netherlands, they will go back on a part-time basis, on the same date, with secondary pupils returning from 1 June. |
| In South Korea, classrooms opened again at the beginning of April. But they remained empty of pupils as a decision was taken to start the new term online. | In South Korea, classrooms opened again at the beginning of April. But they remained empty of pupils as a decision was taken to start the new term online. |
| Teachers are in the classrooms and communicate with their pupils via laptops and video links. | Teachers are in the classrooms and communicate with their pupils via laptops and video links. |
| Schools in New Zealand will partially reopen next week for children up to Year 10 who cannot study from home, or whose parents need to return to work. | Schools in New Zealand will partially reopen next week for children up to Year 10 who cannot study from home, or whose parents need to return to work. |
| Education for students in Years 11-13 will continue remotely. | Education for students in Years 11-13 will continue remotely. |