Over the last year, back-to-school has been redefined for students, parents, teachers, school authorities, and everyone involved at different education levels.
In addition to the student and teacher safety plans regularly made, new strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have to be integrated into the learning curriculum. Whether you’re learning from home, in person, or combining the two, a certain precaution level is expected of you.
Going into the new year, what concrete plans can be made to ensure safety at different educational institutions? Here are some things to keep in mind.
Practice physical distancing
Physical and social distancing is the hardest to control in schools, especially among younger children. Strictly following the 6 feet rule can also hinder proper learning (both academically and socially). What then is the way forward? School authorities can try to ensure safe distancing amongst students through the following ways;
Try spacing desks out and have them facing one direction,
Eliminate crowding by removing lockers and reducing the number of students on school buses at one time,
Create one-way traffic in the hallways,
Use the outdoor spaces more often,
Make use of physical barriers to separate students and tutors, and have social distancing signs all over school,
Weigh the options of remote, in-person, and hybrid learning for your school.
Wearing face masks
Schools aren’t an exception to the compulsive face masks rule, so there’s the need to ensure that students, teachers, and everyone around follow the rule. The following should be considered:
Making masks compulsory in places where it’s hard to maintain physical distancing amongst students,
Ensuring that students have an adequate supply of cloth face masks every day,
Ensuring labeling of masks so they don’t get mixed up,
Not wearing face masks for children under 2 years old, and those with special medical conditions.
Washing or sanitizing of hands
Despite being in school, proper handwashing hygiene can be maintained. It’s essential now more than ever that students, especially the younger ones, are educated on the importance of regularly washing their hands.
Hand washing should be practiced with children at home, but school authorities can also make it an integral part of daily school activities. Students should be made to wash their hands before and after eating, or touching communal items.
Hand sanitizers can be made available as alternatives to hand washing when the latter isn’t possible. Such hand sanitizers should be at least 60% alcohol-based, and younger students should be shown how to use them properly.
Proper cleaning and disinfecting
Among all the places that proper cleaning and disinfecting are paramount, the school is high on the list. Even though it might be challenging to control the students and their entire activities, it’s still important to ensure that proper and consistent cleaning is carried out.
Places that are frequently touched, like the doorknobs, desks, chairs, and faucets, should be cleaned appropriately. Employing professional services like those from SafeFromSpread will ensure that the important places are appropriately checked and disinfected in the best ways.
Safe From Spread can also help you educate and train your students on the best practices and standard operating procedures for fighting the spread of illnesses. This will empower your students and staff members to make healthy decisions in the school environment.
Educational institutions are among the most important spaces that safety is paramount, considering how easy it is for the virus and other illnesses to spread. As a parent or guardian, teacher, member of the school authority, or even a student, it’s essential for you to do all you can to ensure safety for everyone around you.