Despite COVID-19 forcing schools across the globe to abandon their classrooms over these past months, a handful of nations are cautiously reopening their schools. Leading this mission are countries such as China, Japan and Denmark. Although the reopening of schools has numerous potential benefits, such as providing much-needed childcare and valuable in-person education, many are wary of the risks that come with such a monumental decision. 

Children as COVID-19 Spreaders

There is considerable scientific debate over the impact that children have in the spread of COVID-19. While many fear that there will be a spike in virus cases if children resume in-person school, others counter with data suggesting that children not only make up a remarkably small percentage of severe coronavirus cases but also seem less likely to spread the virus than adults.

Even with the decreased risk of children being infected or developing acute symptoms, a recent study of children in Wuhan, China, and Shanghai concluded that ultimately, the children attending schools were just as likely to spread the virus as adults. Closing schools, however, had the potential to reduce a surge by 40% to 60%. 

The inconsistencies in data can be credited to difficulty tracking enough children, especially now that schools are closed, as well as a shortage of available tests and diagnoses.

Attempts at Reopening Schools

With a handful of countries feeling confident about their decreasing infection rates, some schools are beginning to reopen. Many schools in China reopened in March, including in Wuhan, where the COVID-19 outbreak began. Another example is Denmark, the first European country to restart classes after major shutdowns. Beginning on April 15, younger children were the first to return because of their perceived lower health risks and since they were benefiting the least from distance learning. 

For those resuming in-class school, the experience looks considerably different than before. Students in Taiwan, the place with perhaps the most success at keeping schools open, wash their hands and sanitize their shoes when they arrive at school. In Israel, children cannot check books out of the school libraries or borrow pencils from classmates. At Yangzheng Elementary School in Hangzhou, China, young students are given hats to wear with a three-foot diameter to encourage distancing. Across the world, schools are implementing numerous measures to manage the virus. Sporting events, field trips and other large physical gatherings have been dropped. Instead, schools have taken up practices that include regular temperature checks, staggered entry times, and constant cleaning. There are many tactics being used to encourage social distancing such as spaced-out desks and the use of outdoor spaces for classrooms. 

Despite the multitude of precautionary measures, some places have not found as much success. Some students in France, for example, have been sent back home after just one week of schooling. Despite only 30% of students returning to school, 70 new COVID-19 cases  prompted seven of those reopened schools to close again. French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer claimed that those who spread the virus were “likely” infected before schools had resumed, especially given COVID-19’s two week incubation period. In Germany, schools have generally been successful in their reopening, but one school was shut down again after a teacher tested positive for the virus. Singapore also closed schools down again after a brief reopening, but the outbreak that prompted this closure was not school-related. 

Moving Forward

While it is impossible for schools to safely resume activities as they were before the pandemic, there are still options for schools that wish to reopen in the future. Having said that, schools cannot rush to reopen or they will risk another surge in infections. Once they are ready, however, schools must learn from those that have already opened and are finding success with their updated safety measures. If schools can adopt suitable new habits that will prevent virus transmission, students will be able to return to school and receive many of the mental and educational benefits they had before.