How Coronavirus has affected education nationwide
What is coronaVirus?
A type of virus that typically affects the respiratory tract of mammals, including humans and has infected thousands of people globally.It is associated with common cold, pneumonia and severe acute respiratory syndrome and can also affects the gut.
Educators and students around the world are feeling the extraordinary ripple effect of the novel coronavirus as schools shut down amid the public health emergency.
While health officials scramble to get a grip on multiple outbreaks, here is how education systems have responded
How Corovirus has affect schools and countries involved
There are school closures of some kind in 22 countries on three continents with hundreds of millions of students around the world facing upheaval, including 13 countries that have shut schools nationwide.
School closures around the world keep 290 million students at home
Currently, school closures in over a dozen countries due to the COVID-19 outbreak have disrupted the education of at least 290.5 million students worldwide, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
These schools across the whole world are lockdown in order to prevent the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus.
Italy
Lucia Azzolina, Italy’s Education Minister, announced Wednesday that all schools would be closed nationwide until March 15.
More than 3,900 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Italy, with nearly 200 deaths, making it Europe’s worst-hit country thus far.
United States
Multiple U.S. based universities have had students return home from study abroad programs in Italy after the CDC moved Italy from Alert Level 2 to Warning Level 3 on Feb. 26. These are the list of universities close down;
Elon University, Fairfield University, Florida International University, University of Tampa, Gonzaga University, Loyola University Chicago, Miami University-Ohio, Penn State University, Stanford University, Syracuse University, University of Maryland-College Park, University of Miami and Villanova University all wrote in statements that their students would leave Italy, or have already left Italy, for return to the U.S.
Some students, like ones at Villanova University, were asked to satisfy a 14-day quarantine period before returning to the campus.
In Washington State, where multiple cases of coronavirus have been reported, health officials have said there is no set protocol for school closures.
“Our priority is the health and safety of our students, and we are taking extra steps to prevent and contain the disease,” Seattle Public Schools said in a statement Wednesday.
GREECE
While there are no cases confirmed in some schools public meetings are postponed
At a hearing with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said her own daughter’s school district was closing in response to the novel coronavirus.
NIGERIA
“Schools across my state have had to cancel classes, one will remain closed for a least the rest of this week,” Murray said Wednesday. “I had a message sent to me in the middle of the night by my own daughter that her school district is closing down for two weeks at least. So, this is really impacting families.”
The New York State Department of Health has partnered with hospitals to expand testing to 1,000 tests per day statewide for the new coronavirus. The state will also institute a new cleaning protocol in schools, in the public transportation system and elsewhere, which the governor said is a good idea during flu season anyway.
China
Just two weeks ago, China was the only country mandating school closures. The novel coronavirus, known officially as COVID-19, emerged there in the city of Wuhan in December.
JAPAN
Teachers talk with students who are at home during an online class at Nagoya International School in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, in Japan on March 5, 2020. The emergency closure of schools in Japan began March 1 to combat the spread of the virus.
GHANA
The CDC shared interim guidance for K-12 schools on how to plan, prepare and respond to COVID-19, based on what is known about the severity and transmission of the disease.
The CDC recommends schools work directly with local health departments to share information about the disease, identify resources for students and staff, update emergency operations plans and monitor and plan for absenteeism.
“School plans should be designed to minimize disruption to teaching and learning and protect students and staff from social stigma and discrimination,” the CDC said. “Plans can build on everyday practices that include strategies for before, during, and after a possible outbreak.”
Schools should promote disease prevention strategy
The U.S. Department of Education has released comprehensive guidance, information, and resources for schools and personnel affected by interruptions as it relates to COVID-19.
- If you are sick, stay home from school.
- Avoid close contact with those who are already sick.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing with a tissue or the crook of your arm.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth.
schools can do if cases of COVID-19 are identified
The CDC recommends that schools consider the following steps:
- Temporarily cancel extracurricular group activities and large events;
- Cancel or postpone events such as after-school assemblies and pep rallies,
- Cancel field trips, and sporting events;
- Discourage students and staff from gathering or socializing anywhere;
- Discourage gatherings at places like a friend’s house, a favorite restaurant, or the local shopping mall;
- Ensure continuity of education.
How to continue education in the case of school dismissal
- It’s important for parents to keep an open conversation with kids as they explore coronavirus on social media and shared tips on what to do if a child’s school is closed due to the health outbreak.
- If your child is in a school that’s closed, it’s not play time you still want them to study. And again, it’s a time to explain how the virus is spread and what symptoms may be like.”
- Parents should take any port of entry to talk to kids about news.
- “Check in with them — you can explore and get information together. If they need to go to the doctor they can, but sometimes staying home may be safer for everyone.”
- Schools are urged to review continuity plans, including plans for the continuity of teaching and learning.
