In March 2020, schools were abruptly closed due to the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, which has ravaged the world. Schools are now set for reopening after efforts to contain the virus appear to be bearing fruits. However, to prevent the further spread of the virus in schools, all of those involved in learning must adhere to social distancing measures. The dilemma will be how schools can achieve this.
Coronavirus can spread from one person to another by contact or inhaling air with cough droplets from a contaminated person. As a result, social distancing measures were enacted to prevent the spread of the disease. With the successful containment of the virus yet to happen, the government has decided that the school curriculum must continue.
With the reopening of schools now seeming inevitable, the challenge is how a huge number of students can practice social distancing. There have been plenty of suggestions made, which we are going to look at in this article.
The major considerations
COVID-19 can not only spread by coming into contact with affected persons but also surfaces. The virus can stay alive for hours on different kinds of surfaces. Even though students have to keep a social distance, other measures like hand washing and regular disinfecting of surfaces must be put in place.
First of all, anybody showing symptoms of COVID-19 should not be allowed to step into the school. This includes teachers, parents, or any visitors. The means of transporting children to school should also be looked into with public transport reducing the number of passengers.
What are the proposals being put in place?
Expansion of the teaching space
Due to the social distancing measures, schools need a lot of room for teaching to accommodate their students. This means that halls, libraries, and conference venues can be converted into teaching space. Alternatively, schools can lease buildings for short-term use or erect temporary buildings. They can get in touch with Smart-Space for affordable temporary structures. Smart-Space is a leading temporary building supplier in the UK with experience in the educational sector. Learning institutions can check out more tips here on how they can procure these buildings and the features of those structures.
Reducing the size of classes
The number of students in the class must be significantly reduced. Some students will attend classes while others can study from home. School hours will be extended if it appears safe to do so. There are even proposals for the students to attend classes in shifts. The shifts can be carried daily in a morning-afternoon basis, alternating days, or even weeks.
Schools must ensure that social distancing is in place
A school can reopen if it can have its students sit a distance of two meters apart. Students will not be allowed to be in close contact during break times. To cover for the shortage of teachers, virtual learning can be introduced. On top of that, all former teachers can be allowed to go back to class.
What about young children?
Maintaining social distance for young kids can be challenging. Staff handling the children should do their best to ensure that all social distancing measures are implemented. They should also make sure that the children regularly wash their hands and discourage them from touching their faces.
Bottom line
To effectively implement social distancing measures, schools are going to need a lot of room. If your school requires additional space, you can always get in touch with Smart-Space. At Smart-Space, we believe that children can only get back to school safely if there is adequate teaching space.
You can rent our temporary classroom buildings to cater for your space needs, and you can be sure to get quality buildings because Smart-Space is the UK's leading supplier of temporary structures and has extensive experience in temporary school buildings. Our classes can be easily installed even in spaces that appear hard to access or are enclosed, which is a significant advantage compared to other modular ones.
Our full turnkey building solution can cover your immediate learning space needs, so why not give us a call?
