Safety Tips for Returning to School During COVID-19

Staying Safe in School During COVID-19

Since 2020 the whole world has been hit by the pandemic. The second wave of COVID has also come and gone due to which a complete lockdown was witnessed in many countries. This pandemic surely had a serious effect on the economy of every country. But most importantly, the biggest losses were faced by the students and schools as well. The school has been closed for almost two years and education has been online since then. Parents are genuinely concerned about their children’s safety in school.

Tips For Staying Safe in School During the COVID-19

Schools will eventually start in phases, but there are certain measures that parents and schools must take in terms of safety for the children.

1. Containment-Free Zone: Parents should not send their children to school if the area in which they live falls into the containment zone. Schools should also remain shut if it falls under containment zone.

2. Avoid Sending Sick Children: Children should not be sent to school if they are sick as it can spread to other students with low immunity.

3. Safety Protocol Guide: Children should be trained at home on how to frequently wash hands, and how to use sanitizer and wear a mask. 

4. Teach Your Child Basic COVID Guidelines: Each child should be instructed to keep at least 6 feet apart and not to touch each other and not share his/her lunch box, water bottle and educational materials with other children.

5. Mask on Always: Children should be instructed not to remove the face mask and not to touch any other object in school, and not to touch their mouth and eyes constantly. All teachers and non-teaching staff should also use masks and sanitizers regularly.

6. Cleanliness & Disinfected: Children’s school bags should be disinfected after school and also, school uniforms should be cleaned daily. The school administration should also sanitize everything in the school for e.g., school laboratories, libraries, classrooms, toilets, furniture, water tanks etc.

7. Check For any Symptoms: Children’s body temperature and oxygen levels should be checked daily, in case of any doubt consult a doctor immediately.

8. Vitamin Rich Foods: Children should be given fresh and hot food rich in vitamins daily 

9. Schools Should Exempt Kids: Students should not be forced to attend school

10. Privacy: The school administration should take care of the information that the students will share with each other.

Why Safe, In-Person School Is So Important

In-person schooling has its own benefits. Though initially children enjoyed not waking up early morning during lockdown and wear their uniforms to attend school, it is important that government allows children to attend schools physically. Why? Let us see a few reasons below –

– Keeps child active

– Helps children socialize with other kids

– Creating a learning environment in schools improves concentration

– Easier for teachers to supervise kids

– Kids get to be involved in sports activities too

Summary

Now that we have understood some important ways how parents and schools can both take precautions, we hope that the government finds some way to re-open schools for the benefit of the kids and parents too. Home schooling after a point can get the child dull and feel not so interested as they don’t get to interact with other kids and teachers the way they used to. Let us hope we go back to the normal living soon.