Special isolation room for students who have high temperature

• The new realities of going back to school

An isolation room for students who have a high temperature or other possible symptoms of Covid-19 is one of several measures which St Margaret College Primary School has taken up to prevent and reduce the risk of the virus spreading.

On Saturday, this newsroom was invited by Education Minister Owen Bonnici for a school tour of the government kindergarten and primary school in Kalkara. The school has a population of around 150 students. Whilst being on the smaller side compared to other schools, it still has taken all the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all staff and students. Bonnici has spent the week going around different government schools to show the procedures and measures the schools have taken and to show educators, students and parents that everything is in order.

After the government had announced numerous times that students will go back to school on 28 September, on Friday, it announced a delay in the reopening of schools.

Students will return to school in a staggered order, over seven days, so as to allow a smooth transition. Therefore, students attending compulsory education in State Schools will start returning from 7 October. All students will be back in the classroom by 14 October. After its announcement, Church schools also followed the same direction.

‘There were huge disagreements between the Ministry and the Union’

Earlier this week MUT announced that the discussions on the implementation of Covid-19 measures in schools had failed Shortly after, the government decided to postpone the reopening of schools. When this newsroom asked whether there are still disagreements between the union and the Ministry, Bonnici said that there have been numerous discussions in the past few days between the two entities. “There were huge disagreements between the Ministry and the Union, but always a level of respect between us. Over the last few days, we had further discussions and we are now in a position where teachers and educators will go back to the classrooms on Monday, with students following at a later date.”

Three entrances for different classrooms

The school has three entrances to separate the arrival of students and reduce clustering in one area. Upon arrival at the school, there are clear signs for students to abide by social distancing measures and to wait patiently for their temperatures to be taken at the entrance and to sanitise their hands. Parents or guardians will not be allowed in the building.

Windows will be kept open for better air circulation. There are six primary classes and four for kindergarten. There will not be an assembly in the morning. Instead, students will head directly to class.

Children taking part in the Breakfast Club will no longer eat breakfast together but will do so in their classrooms to keep to their bubble.

The headmistress explained that the isolation room is for students who might have a high temperature or develop symptoms throughout the day. They will be placed in the room until a parent or guardian comes to collect them. In the room itself the desks are scattered and there is a Perspex sheet separating the desks. There will also be a supervisor with the child.

The classrooms which will host primary students have the necessary 1.5 metre spacing between desks, and the school has even placed red stickers on the tiles so that staff and students know the appropriate spacing between each desk. This also gives cleaners an indication of where desks should be placed. In bigger classrooms, the space between desks is bigger.

In the case of students who need an LSE, the school is providing a Perspex sheet between the student and the LSE. In the case of students who need more support, there will not be a Perspex sheet.

Books to be quarantined for 72 hours before another child can borrow them

Prior to the virus, schools had libraries or designated areas for children to borrow books, but now students will not be allowed to share books so freely. The school has provided each student with reading books to start the year with. Other children will be allowed to make use of the same books after the books have been quarantined for 72 hours.

Children will also have to maintain social distancing in the bathrooms, where there will be supervisors. Some sinks have been closed off to maintain a distance, and bathrooms will be cleaned three times a day. Students will be taught about keeping a distance and hygiene.

Kindergarten students

The protocols for kindergarten are slightly different to those of primary and secondary schools. Whilst social distancing between students at that age might be more difficult, groups will be limited to 15 in Kinder 1 and 19 in Kinder 2, Bonnici explained.

In the classrooms, the desks are well spaced out and whilst two students will be sharing a desk, each side will be delineated by using coloured tape.

During break time, different classes will go out at different times to ensure that students keep to their own class bubble and for fewer students to mingle together. Each class will also have their own area on the playground.