INTERNATIONAL SURVEY ON RESUMING FACE-TO-FACE EDUCATION - FEBRUARY 2021
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Produced by: Supported by:
INTERNATIONAL
SURVEY ON
RESUMING
FACE-TO-FACE
EDUCATION
FEBRUARY 2021
Preface
Thanks to the support received from the Lemann Foundation/Imaginable Futures Alliance, this international survey
was produced by Vozes da Educação in August 2020, and later updated in February 2021. The objective of this work
is to inform social debate on reopening schools based on an analysis of a range of initiatives adopted over time by
21 countries around the world.
This study identifies a number of patterns in many government behaviors and decisions, and taking into account
the particularities of each country, classifies and categorizes some key points. Several topics have been added to this
updated version, such as school meals and transportation, maintenance or suspension of physical activities, good
teaching and administrative practices, and the impact of the pandemic on education.
It also includes some critical guiding questions extracted from successful school reopening contingency plans. The
same was done in the section on communication, a key feature in any successful school reopening process. In
an attempt to support school and network managers, we have discussed aspects that should be considered before,
during and after reopening schools.
This document aims to reach and support families, education professionals, and other education stakeholders. We
hope that it may serve as reference for decision making on whether and when to resume face-to-face education,
taking into account the importance of school for children and youth.
We hope you enjoy reading this report!
* Th is project w as m ade possible thanks to th e Learning Support Fun d during COVID-19, laun ch ed through an allian ce betw een th e Lemann Found ation and Imaginable F utures in
response to the challenges that Brazilian education faces during a pandemic.
2
Table of Contents
Methodology ……………………...…………………………………………………..……...…..……….....4 6. Contingency plan …..………………...………………….…..………………...………56
School reopening classification ……………………...……………………………..……6 Creation of a national or state level plan …..………………………....………57
Clarity on what to do in positive cases …………………...………………...……… 58
Key findings ……………………………………………..………………...……………………………..……8
Close contact monitoring and testing …..………………...……………………….59
Criteria for assessing degrees of closure …..………………...……………...60
1. School reopening process …..………………...…………………………………….11
School Contingency Plan …..………………...………………………………………….61
Mandatory return to school …..…………………..…………………………………………12
Prioritizing the return of specific groups ….………………...…………………….13 7. Communication …..………………...…………..………………...………………………64
Governments’ communication on measures taken .…….………..…... 65
2. Contagion curves …..….…………...………………………………………………………. 16
How can governments communicate more effectively? …..………67
3. Impacts of the pandemic …..………………...…………………………………….33 Food for thought …..………………...…………..………………...…………………………69
4. School operations during the pandemic …..………………...……37 Communication and trust: case studies ….. ……………...…………………72
School meals …..………………...……………………………………………………………………38
School transportation …..………………...……………………………………………………39 Final considerations …..……………..………………...…………....……………...………75
Physical education or activity …..………………...……………………………………..43 References …..………………...…………..………………...…………..………………...……….…77
Hiring new teachers …..………………...………………………………………………………47
Good practices at school …..………………...……………………………………………...50
5. Testing and vaccination …..………………...………………………………………53
COVID-19 testing …..………………...…………………………………………………………....54
Teachers in priority vaccination groups …..………………...…………………….55
3
Methodology
A bibliographic review was carried out by consulting official governmental documents of the selected
countries, as well as publications from research institutions, and news articles from local and/or international
media. The choice of countries took into account cases of success related to basic education and control of
the pandemic, geographic and geopolitical variability (different continents, and emerging/developed
economies), and the availability of information for each one. This work is an update of the version published
in August 2020, which is available here. Data collection ended on February 2, 2021.
The 21 selected countries reflect about 10 percent of the total number of countries in the world (UN),
and therefore constitute just a sample. They are: South Africa, Germany, Argentina, Bolivia, Canada (province
of Quebec), Chile, China (provinces of Beijing and Hong Kong), Denmark, United States (states of Georgia,
Indiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee), France, India, Israel , Italy, Nigeria, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, United
Kingdom, Singapore, Sweden, and Uruguay.
Data regarding contagion curves, as well as the total number of confirmed weekly cases, are from the WHO
website. School reopening dates, and the classifications adopted for school closure, reopening, and vacations
are from the UNESCO website. In the case of Canada, China and the United States, the data refer to the
provinces/states specifically mentioned in the list. In some situations, nationwide data from these countries
were used, but this was always indicated in such cases.
4
Selected countries
South Africa Germany Argentina Bolivia Canada* Chile
Province of Quebec
China* Denmark United States* France India Israel
Provinces of Beijing Georgia, Indiana,
and Hong Kong Mississippi, and Tennessee
Nigeria New Zealand Peru Portugal United
Italy
Kingdom
Singapore Sweden Uruguay
*In these cases, only these provinces/states were analyzed.
5
School reopening classification*
Inconclusive
Satisfactory Schools reopened fully (no regional or gradual
Schools reopened fully (no regional or gradual reopening schem es), but a change was observed in
reopening schemes), and no change was observed in the country's contagion curve within the follow ing
the country's contagion curve within the following two months. Thi s does not mean, however, that schools
two months, that is, no correlation wa s found between were responsible for new contagions. The increa se in the
school reopening and an increase in COVID-19 cases. If the number of cases may have been caused by a relaxation of
curve previously showed a downward trend, or seemed to wider social distancing measures, or by the arrival of a
be flattening, the same trend was maintained; if there was new variant of the virus, for example.
a previous upward trend, the opening of school s did not
Israel, Italy, Nigeria, and the United Kingdom.
accelerate an increase in the number of cases—they may
have continued to rise, but at the same rate as before
reopening. Partial reopening
South Africa, Germ any, China, Denmark, France, New Schools reopened partially, that is, reopening was
Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, and Uruguay. limited to certain regions in the country, or to certain
school levels. Although this report presents the current
situation in these countries, it was not possible to
classif y their reopening as satisfactory or
inconclusive, since the schools were only partially
open.
Argentina, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, United States,
India, and Peru.
* Sweden was not classified because its schools never closed, and therefore it did not implement a school reopening scheme.
6
School reopening classification
Evidence reveals that, in most countries, reopening schools did not affect the
contagion curve trend. This finding is in line with a study published in December 2020 by
the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. That study points out that the
increase in cases observed in Europe since the reopening of schools resulted from the
relaxation of other distancing measures, but the focuses of transmission were not
schools. In addition, it emphasizes that school closures should be used as a last resort
to contain the pandemic.
That study also showed that education professionals are not at greater risk of
infection than others, although the risk increases when there is more contact between
many adults and young people above the age of 16.
An IDB study published in February 2021 (specifically focused on Latin America) also
concluded that "with a well-implemented COVID-19 control strategy, in contexts where the
disease is under control, it is possible to keep schools open without significant
impacts on community transmission rates.”
It is important to note that neither study includes data on new variants, and that this
survey has not been able to assess the impacts of such new variants because
schools were closed in many countries.
7
Key findings
In the first version of this survey, we found that countries where reopening was considered satisfactory
implemented their schemes when the contagion curve was decreasing or flattening at levels considered not
very high. In the current version, we were able to confirm that, with school reopening, the trend was
maintained.* This means that no correlation was found between school reopening and a potential
increase in community transmission rates. Indeed, in 9 of the 21 countries analyzed, school reopening was
considered satisfactory (South Africa, Germany, China, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Portugal, and Singapore),
indicating that no change was observed in their contagion curves in the two months following reopening.
No clear correlation was found independently of whether school reopening was mandatory or not. In
eight countries, reopening was voluntary (South Africa, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Georgia and Indiana in the
United States, India, and Italy); and in five countries, it was mandatory (Germany, Mississippi and Tennessee in
the United States, New Zealand, and Singapore). In four countries, reopening started as voluntary, and later
became mandatory (France, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Uruguay).
Countries that perform well on PISA kept schools closed for fewer days, suggesting that they assign more
value to their education agenda. In addition, this evidence corroborates one of the findings of the first version of
this report, according to which countries with good PISA scores opened schools before or at the same time as
retail stores.
* The average weekly percentage change in the month prior to reopening was, at most, 5 percent lower than the average weekly percentage change in the second month after reopening.
8
Key findings
Successful health and social distancing measures (August 2020) remained in place, or were intensified
by governments, including investing in funding schemes to improve school infrastructure with a view to
ensuring the safety of students and teachers, as observed in Chile, for example.
Double masks—that is, wearing a cloth mask over a disposable surgical mask—is stressed in health
recommendations. In February 2021, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a study
demonstrating that this practice reduces by up to 95 percent the exposure of individuals to the aerosol particles
that spread the virus.
Most of the countries analyzed issued specific guidelines for the consumption of school meals. Of the 14
countries that address school meals in their protocols, 12 provided specific guidelines and recommendations.
Only two countries (New Zealand and Sweden) introduced no new rules for meals during the pandemic.
Monitoring and containing isolated cases was one of the main strategies adopted by countries where reopening
was considered satisfactory in the first version of this survey. This trend was confirmed in this version, and it has
now been proven that even in countries with satisfactory reopening schemes, there were occasional
school closures, with the isolation of students and teachers. In such cases, success may be attributed to
a consistent monitoring policy and thorough contingency plans, as well as an alignment between
Education and Health authorities.
9
Key findings
Most countries (17) implemented some type of close contact monitoring for people who tested positive
for COVID-19. In some countries, these individuals were traced, isolated, and tested, or only traced and isolated;
while in others, only symptomatic and suspicious individuals would be tested and isolated.
In the first version of this survey, we found that all countries where school reopening was considered satisfactory
implemented clear and effective communication channels with the population, even though reopening may
have been unpopular at the beginning of the process. In this version, this trend was confirmed, and countries
that prioritized the resumption of face-to-face classes on their public agendas have been increasingly
investing in communication and transparency protocols. In Argentina, for example, the minister of
Education visited the country's 24 provinces to meet with local governments and union representatives.
Among the countries analyzed, only five countries (Argentina, Indiana and Mississippi in the United States,
France, United Kingdom, and Uruguay) added teachers to their COVID-19 vaccination priority groups.
Most countries have been taking a more cautious approach to new variants of the virus. Denmark and
Germany, for example, postponed the return to school after the end of the year break.
Some countries have had to deal with multiple school openings and closures, and yet this situation
appears to be better than keeping schools completely closed for many months. UNESCO believes that
opening and closing schools several times is something to be expected for the coming years, and that the
population must learn to deal with it.
101. School reopening
process
We have been working hard for
many months so that all
students may return to school. It
is an absolute priority for the
government, and a priority for
the whole country.
Lucia Azzolina, minister of Education of Italy
11Mandatory return to school Schools fully
Schools partially open
Schools Schools on
open closed vacation
The first version of this survey, published in
August 2020, analyzed several strategies Canada India Chile South
adopted by different countries regarding Voluntary Africa
return Denmark
the possibility of letting parents choose
whether or not to send their children to Italy USA – Indiana, Argentina
Tennessee, and Georgia
school. Where parents had a choice, return
was considered voluntary; where they did Return
started as
not, return was mandatory (observing voluntary, France
specific policies for risk groups, and other and then Portugal United Uruguay
became Kingdom
exceptional situations). Implementation mandatory*
started in August 2020, when a new school
year started in many countries, as we can
New Sweden
see in the table on the right. Mandatory Zealand USA – Germany
return Mississippi
*In th e first ver sion, cou ntries w ere c lassified according to the
Singapore
public ation date of the docum ent determin in g w het her or not the
return wou ld be m andatory. As a r esu lt, school r eopening w as
classified as mandatory in Franc e as of Au gu st, while in Uru gu ay, it
only became effective in October. No Bolivia Israel Nigeria
**The data reported in the co lumn s ( schools fully o pen, partially consistent
open, clo sed or on vacatio n) ref er to th e most recent data available information
for the countries (as of February 2021).
on school
Peru China – Beijing
reopening and Hong
Kong
12Prioritizing the return of specific groups
Israel → Closed programs, where students lived on the
Vulnerable / disconnected
Special education premises;
students
→ Daytime rehabilitation centers and multiuse daycare
Children of essential workers
centers;
Some programs and establishments were authorized → Schools and youth centers for students at risk;
to operate subject to certain conditions, such as: → Special education, including public transportation;
→ Teaching children of essential workers, under 12 → Hospital education;
years old; → Students' psychological support.
→ Teaching children whose parents work for a
New Zealand
business/institution that provides essential services,
Vulnerable / disconnected
and: students
Children of essential workers
▫ where both spouses are essential workers and
cannot perform their duties at home, or are Schools were kept open for primary school students who
single parents, or one of the spouses is isolated, could not study remotely, or for students whose parents
or both spouses cannot care for their children were essential service workers, or for students from
due to disability or illness. vulnerable groups.
→ Boarding schools and school activities in educational
establishments within boarding schools.
13Prioritizing the return of specific groups
Peru United Kingdom
Vulnerable / disconnected Vulnerable / disconnected
Special education Children of essential workers
students students
For the resumption of face-to-face classes, the
government determined that the following priorities In England, despite the lockdown, schools remained in
be considered: operation for children of frontline workers, and for
→ Early childhood education (ages 3 to 5); children considered vulnerable. These include those
→ Early years of elementary school (1st and 2nd grades); without access to a laptop at home or a quiet place to
→ Transition grades (early childhood education to early study.
years of elementary school, early years to final years of
elementary school, and so on); Uruguay
→ Students in situations of vulnerability; Vulnerable / disconnected
Rural areas
students
→ Specialized educational assistance.
Portugal In 2020, the following criteria were considered to
Vulnerable / disconnected
determine the priority of returning to face-to-face
students
classes: rural schools; population density in each region;
There are government guidelines for offering face-to- and internet access. For 2021, the government has
face support to students at risk of dropping out of school proposed that students in contexts of greater social
and/or in situations of vulnerability, and whose risks have vulnerability, especially those enrolled in the first and last
been signaled by Child and Youth Protection years of each education level, should have access to face-
Commissions. to-face classes.
14Prioritizing the return of specific groups
Argentina Denmark
Rural areas Special education Children of essential workers
In 2020, most schools that resumed face-to-face classes With the suspension of classes in March 2020, special
were located in rural areas or small towns, where there education students and children of essential workers
were no reports of community transmission. The central were allowed to continue attending face-to-face classes
government recommended that local governments across the country. For these priority students, teachers
prioritize school reopening based on the observation of were asked to come up with a teaching regime that
certain sociodemographic criteria, such as: schools proved effective, whether through home monitoring or
located in rural areas, where students and professionals school attendance.
rely less heavily on public transportation; regions where
contagion rates are zero or very low; and areas where
internet connection is limited and/or the population are India
more vulnerable. Vulnerable / disconnected
students
In Tripura, the local government resumed classes in
August 2020 in open areas, so that students without
internet access could attend school.
So far, India's central government has not issued any
recommendation on whether to prioritize access to
education for specific groups.
152. Contagion curves
COVID-19 cases among teachers and
education workers indicate that
schools have no influence on
community transmission.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Technical report. COVID-19 in children and the role of
school settings in transmission, December 2020.
16Considerations on contagion curves
These curves were obtained from the World Health Organization (WHO) website, considering school recess/vacation
periods, school closures, and full or partial reopening during the pandemic, as described in the legend below. Each
gray bar represents one week. The dates were obtained from the UNESCO website.
Cases: In the charts, the word "cases" refers to the number of weekly cases per million people. In other words, we
have considered the total number of new weekly cases reported by WHO for every million people in the country.
Example: “Cases: 256.3” means that, in the school reopening week (or school closure, or school break), for every million
people, 256.3 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded.
Legend:
Sample chart
School closure: schools closed due to the
Total number of new cases per week
Dec 16
pandemic. Mar 18 Jun 1 Jul 27 Aug 24 Cases:
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: 1,016.3
3.4 256.3 1079.9 264.8
Full school reopening: all schools reopened in the V
country, taking risk groups into account. Mar 18—
Apr 13
100,000
50,000
Partial school reopening: schools started
reopening partially. 0
Apr Jul Oct Jan
Vacations: school vacation period.
V Vacations during school closure: school recess or vacation periods while schools were closed due to the pandemic.
17Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
South Africa Contagion curve
Total number of new cases per week
Dec 16 In June 2020, the government ordered the gradual reopening of
Mar 18 Jun 1 Jul 27 Aug 24 Cases:
schools for students enrolled in the final grades of elementary and high
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: 1,016.3
3.4 256.3 1,079.9 264.8 school. On that occasion, the contagion curve was rising, and there
V was a lot of noise in the government’s communication with the school
Mar 18—
Apr 13
100,000 community. In spite of this, the decision to reopen was maintained until
the end of July 2020, when the government decreed the suspension of
50,000 face-to-face classes due to the high rate of new cases.
0 At the end of August 2020, about a month after the suspension of face-
Apr Jul Oct Jan to-face classes, and after observing a downward trend in the number
of cases, a total reopening of schools was determined by the
Until August 2020 After August 2020 authorities. Weeks after the second reopening, the curve maintained its
School reopening was Teachers believe that resuming downward trend until it stabilized. This suggests an important point:
controversial, with teachers face-to-face classes in 2021 is when schools reopened with a downward trend, the country did
strongly opposing it. A lawsuit hasty, especially with the discovery not identify a rise in cases.
postponed the reopening, and of a new variant in the country.
government communication They claim that there is no However, in December 2020, with the arrival of the holiday season and
with the population was not containment plan, and that the emergence of a new variant of the virus, an increase in cases was
smooth throughout the process. schools are not prepared. observed. Schools had been open since the end of August, which
After two weeks of face-to-face However, they are not against suggests that there is no correlation between the opening of
classes, 773 schools reported reopening, and believe that, if schools and a rise in the curve. On December 16, students went on
more than 1,500 positive cases of given more time they can prepare vacation, and schools were closed. The return, which was due to take
COVID-19, which prompted the for a safe return. Parents and place in early January, was postponed due to the record high number
government to close schools teachers understand the of cases reported in the country. Face-to-face classes are expected to
again in late July 2020. importance of returning to school resume in the second half of February.
to resume learning.
18Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
Germany Contagion curve
Total number of new cases per week
Jul 1 Aug 3 Dec 21 Jan 7
Mar 18 May 4
Cases: Cases:
When schools first reopened on May 4, 2020, Germa ny's contagion
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
1,766.6 1,718.6 curve was decreasing, and the country had about 12 new confirmed
212.5 80.9 34.1 72.2
cases per million people, that is, 2.5 times fewer cases per million than
V
Apr 6—
when the government ordered the closure of schools on March 18.
Apr 19 150,000
100,000 After resuming face-to-face classes, Germany did not experience
50,000
a significant increase in the number of new cases. The contagion
curve remained stable until the beginning of the school vacations in
0
July 2020. In August, however, when schools reopened for a new school
Apr Jul Oct Jan
year, the curve showed a slight increase in the number of daily cases,
and kept rising until the beginning of school recess, on December 21,
Until August 2020 After August 2020
2020. This increase in the number of cases can be attributed to a
Schools and stores reopened Schools reopened on August 3,
number of factors, including: (i) people's return from their summer
simultaneously: reopening was and only closed on December 21,
vacations, and (ii) the difficulty in tracing and controlling new cases.
mandatory, and there was some 2020. However, an increasing
This suggests that the rise in cases was not related to face-to-
resistance from public opinion. trend was observed after face classes, considering that schools had been open since early
High school students were the Thanksgiving. On January 7,
August.
first to return. In August 2020, 2021, the government decreed a
with the full reopening of new lockdown for schools, retail Due to a record high number of cases, not to mention the identification
schools, new cases of COVID-19 stores, and non-essential of new variants, the German government imposed a new lockdown,
were identified in Mecklenberg services. Classes are expected to determining the closure of all schools. Germany has not set a date to
and Berlin. Infected students resume on February 15, 2021, but resume face-to-face classes, although school reopening is a priority for
and teachers were isolated, and no confirmation of this was the central government.
some schools closed. received as of the closing date of
this survey.
19Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
Argentina Bolivia
Total number of new cases per week
Sep 1 January 1 Mar 12 Feb 1
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 16
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
2.4 1,560.3 1,229.1 1 1,087.3
V V
V
Jun 30— Dec 23—
Jul 20— 100,000 Jul 15 Jan 31 15,000
Jul 31
10,000
50,000
5,000
0 0
Apr Jul Oct Jan
Apr Jul Oct Jan
Until August 2020 After August 2020 Until August 2020 After August 2020
The co untry had one of the In 2020, five provinces in the In August 2020, the Ministry of In November 2020, the new
longest quarantine pe riods in the country reopene d schools, but Education brought forward the governme nt appointe d a new
world, with re tail store s and only 1 percent of stude nts end of the school year, and minister of Educatio n, w ho was
schools close d until the beginning returned to face-to-face classe s. established that all elementary against canceling the school ye ar. He
of the second half of the year. Two weeks af ter schools reo pene d, and high school students should declared that he was in favor of
Resuming face-to-face classes three regio ns saw an incre ase in resuming f ace-to-f ace classes, and
pass. Bolivia had a temporary
require d an authoriz ation f rom the their contagio n rate s, and some opene d channels for dialog ue. In
government at the time, and
Education Ministry, which schools closed again. December, the union submitte d its
faced strong pressure from both
validated the re turn plans Since January 2021, the proposals for the 2021 school year,
teachers' unions and families,
submitte d by individual province s. governme nt has bee n granting including return protocols. Howeve r,
more autonomy to individual
who did not agree with due to an incre ase in the num ber of
San J uan, whe re contagion rates
were low, was the first regio n province s, most of w hich plan to emergency remote classes. case s, most schools reopene d with
where schools were allowed to resume face -to -face classes in remote classes only.
reopen on August 10. February and March.
20Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
Canada Chile
Dec 21 Jan 4
Sep 8
Total number of new cases per week
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 16 Cases: Cases: Mar 16 Jul 1 Jan 1
Cases:
Cases: 1,104.7 1,525.5 Cases: Cases: Cases:
120.3
19.8 19.5 1,270.6 923.8
V V 60,000 V
Mar 16— Jul 1— Apr 13—
Mar 30 Sep 7 Apr 24 60,000
40,000
40,000
20,000
20,000
0 0
Apr Jul Oct Jan Jul Oct Jan
Apr
Until August 2020 After August 2020 Until August 2020 After August 2020
In Ontario and Quebec, retail In Que bec, schools rem aine d Reopening was authorized in Chile has opte d for voluntary
stores began reopening in May. partially ope n until the end of some communes, but the gradual reopening, widely involving
Schools ended the school year 2020. In January, due to an decision was up to each school communitie s and schools, w hich are
remotely. The 2020–21 school incre ase in cases, a curfew was jointly deciding the best time to
community, and many opted for
year was scheduled to start in decree d, and non-e sse ntial reope n. Schools were also able to
sticking to emergency remote
service s were close d. Provinces apply for f unding to cover ne cessary
September, but the health and education.
were given the power to adjustme nts through the Yo confío
social distancing measures The government faced
determine whe ther or not to en mi escuela (I trust my school)
proposed by the government resistance from parents and
reope n schools. In the case of prog ram . Schools were expected to
were criticized as insufficient. unions, who said that there had
Ontario, reopening was voluntary. resume face-to-f ace classe s in
In Que bec, on the other hand, the been no dialogue during the
March, but teache rs are now
governme nt w as stricte r, and not development of the school resisting the idea afte r a new variant
all stude nts were give n permissio n reopening plan. of the virus has bee n ide ntified in
to attend classes online. the country.
21Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
China Denmark
Total number of new cases per week
Total number of new cases per week
Feb 21 Apr 27 Jul 1 Aug 31 Jan 23 Mar 16 Apr 15 May 27 Jul 1 Aug 9 Dec 22 Jan 5
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
5.9 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.7 86.5 215.9 59.6 27.2 180.4 3,389.0 2,200.2
V
Apr 4—
Apr 13
30,000 20,000
20,000
10,000
10,000
0
0
Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan
Until August 2020 After August 2020 Until August 2020 After August 2020
Although reopening was partial, In Beijing, schools remained Schools reopened before retail The government's communication
and not all provinces returned at partially open, with occasional stores. The first students to with the unions was
the same time, many schools lockdowns. In Hong Kong, return were those attending exemplary and was even used as a
remained open even at the peak classes were suspended in early childhood education. benchmark by other countries.
of contagion. In July 2020, August and in December 2020 Despite initial resistance from The low rates of contagion in
Beijing and Hong Kong started due to an increase in the public opinion, as the opening schools attracted attention, even
resuming face-to-face classes, number of cases. Face-to-face moved on and proved to be though wearing masks was not
but after an increase in classes started resuming in successful, families gained mandatory. At the end of the year,
contagion rates, schools were February 2021. Reopening is confidence in the measures cases increased in the country. As
closed again. Beijing ended the voluntary, and schools are implemented by the a result, face-to-face classes have
school year with remote classes, allowed to open only if they can government, and the rate of not yet resumed, and distance
and Hong Kong brought the guarantee community testing. adherence to face-to-face learning has been in place ever
end of the school year forward. classes increased. since.
22Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
United States Until August 2020
The states of Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi and Tennessee have
adopted gradual school reopening schemes. However, it was
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 7 Mar 14 Jul 1 Aug 17 Dec 24 Jan 4
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: up to individual schools to develop specific strategies and
4.6 41.3 992.5 944.6 4,082.9 5,468.0 phasing schemes.
With the exception of Georgia, where there were occasional
demonstrations in favor of reopening, the opinions of families
1.5 million
and unions in other states were marked by high levels of
1 million
resistance.
500,000
* Although there was mass closure in the USA, UNESCO considers that
0 such closure was partial, given that specific schools were allowed to
Apr Jul Oct Jan continue operating around the country.
Georgia Indiana Mississippi Tennessee
Reopening was authorized, but
In January 2021, the state began School reopening was Classes resumed in August for
it is up to each school whether
a gradual return to face-to-face authorized on July 1, but it was primary and secondary students.
or not to reopen. Although most
classes. To this end, the only in August that most Schools have the flexibility to
districts reopened in the second
government prepared a counties resumed face-to-face implement virtual, face-to-face or
half of 2020, many adopted
checklist to support parents classes. Since then, the hybrid education programs, in
distance learning. State teachers
and/or legal guardians in government has been addition to being able to reduce the
were prioritized in the
deciding whether or not to send monitoring contagion in schools. duration of classes from 5.5 to 4
vaccination plan, with
their children to school. Currently, the union is insisting hours per day, independently of the
immunization starting on
that teachers' vaccination date method chosen. Students' return
February 20, 2021.
be disclosed. and attendance are mandatory.
In February 2021, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention published a study demonstrating that double masking substantially reduced
transmission, and might also reduce contagion rates. The Biden administration has encouraged schools to adopt this practice.
23Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
France Contagion curve
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 16 May 11 May Jul 1 Sep 1 Dec 19 Jan 4 In May 2020, France started resuming face-to-face classes for students
Cases: Cases: 24 Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: enrolled in early childhood education. France had a flat curve at the
151.7 46.2 Cases 39.7 514.1 1,443.8 1,885.9
time of reopening, and in a few days the entire network was reopened.
400,000 Despite some reports of contagion, closures were occasional and
300,000
temporary. The contagion curve maintained a downward trend until
the end of the school year, on July 1, 2020.
200,000
100,000 Unlike the situation described above, when face-to-face classes
0 resumed in September 2020, the curve was on the rise, and
Apr Jul Oct Jan remained so until the second half of November. During that period,
schools remained open, with occasional closures. Between late
Until August 2020 After August 2020 November and early December, the country experienced a drop in
Schools have been open since the the total number of new daily cases per million people.
On May 11, schools reopened for
early childhood education. After beginning of the 2020–21 school
With the curve showing a slight rise, schools resumed face-to-face
that, elementary and high year, with mandatory attendance.
classes on January 4, 2021, after the end-of-year break. Considering the
school institutions began to France is currently in lockdown
new variant and the possibility of including teachers in the priority
gradually resume face-to-face mode, but until October 2020,
vaccination group, the health community is now divided. Some
classes. In June, as public restrictions were milder. In
scientists and doctors believe that the government should wait for
resistance was eased, November 2020, with the arrival of
mass vaccination before reopening schools, even though the curve is
attendance became mandatory a new variant, lockdown rules were
currently flat.
around the country. With the intensified, with curfews and
reopening, new cases of closing of bars and restaurants.
contagion were reported to the However, schools are still open.
government, and seven schools
were closed.
24Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
India Israel
Total number of new cases per week
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 25 Oct 15 Mar 12 May 3 May 17 Jul 1 Sep 1 Sep 17 Nov 1 Jan 8 Jan 21
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
0.5 322.6 14.8 38.5 14.1 632.1 1,751.1 3,701.7 534.0 5,842.1 6,161.1
60,000
600,000
40,000
400,000
200,000 20,000
0 0
Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan
Until August 2020 After August 2020 Until August 2020 After August 2020
The country had not yet adopted In September, the central Stores and schools reopened at In September 2020, Israel
a national policy to reopen government issued guidelines the same time. Government imposed a second lockdown,
schools when, on August 21, 2020, allowing states to start a voluntary communication with the closing schools and commercial
the Tripura state government return plan for high school community was not agile or establishments. Schools were
chose to resume face-to-face students. About a month later, transparent, a factor that had a only partially reopened in
classes in outdoor areas, so that other school levels were allowed to strong influence on the November 2020. However, after
students without internet access resume classes. However, it was up reopening process. Due to a the beginning of the Jewish
could attend classes. By August to each region to decide the ideal severe heat wave, wearing masks New Year in January 2021, they
27, 2020, about 30,000 schools moment and their reopening was made more flexible in were closed again. On January
had gradually started reopening strategy. New contagions have schools for three days. As a result, 21, 2021, schools started partially
their schools, despite the lack of been reported in schools in the a new outbreak was reported, reopening, and the country is
clear guidelines from central states of Andhra Pradesh, and about 240 schools were now well advanced in its
government. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. closed in the country. vaccination efforts.
25Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
Italy Nigeria
Sep 21 Nov 2 Dec 21 Jan 18
Total number of new cases per week
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 10 Sep 14 Jan 2 Dec 24 Jan 6 Mar 26
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
252.3 169.6 3,683.9 1,662.7 1,926.8 0.2 5.2 4.7 28.1 58.0
V V
V
Mar 30— Aug 1
Jun 17—
Apr 13 —Aug
Sep 13 10,000
31
200,000
5,000
100,000
0 0
Jul Apr Jul Oct Jan
Apr Oct Jan
After August 2020 Until August 2020 After August 2020
Until August 2020
Face-to-face classes resumed in the second
Schools ended the school year In Italy, the second wave of Schools reopened after retail half of 2020, and since then there has been
remotely. In August 2020, the contagion started about two stores. The country counted on no new closure. Contagion rates reached a
government started planning to weeks after the reopening of the support of the teachers' record high in January 2021, and parents
schools, which meant that most union, and families also became concerned. Some international
resume face-to-face classes
NGOs operating in the country advised
around the country. At first, the new cases were attributed to face- demonstrated in favor of
parents not to send their children to school.
teachers' union had objections to-face classes. Between reopening. Despite the favorable Meanwhile, the country is experiencing an
and reservations about September and December, Italy's aspects, government unprecedented educational crisis. Even
reopening schools. However, National Institute of Health (ISS— communication was inefficient, before the pandemic, it was already the
Istituto Superiore di Sanità) with senior Department of country where most children were out of
after consultations, they started
school, and the pandemic caused more
collaborating with the monitored outbreaks around the Education officials contradicting
young people to drop out. The minister
government to put together a country, and found that only 2 themselves about resuming reaffirmed that it was imperative to resume
proposal. percent of all notifications face-to-face classes. classes on January 18.
originated from schools.
26Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
New Zealand Peru
Total number of new cases per week
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 24 Apr 29 Dec 19 Feb 1 Mar 12 Jul 1 Jun 27 Aug 11
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
86.4 3.2 4.2 3.6 1.1 714.7 969.9 1,612.4
V V
Mar 28— Mar 30—
Apr 14 60,000
400 Apr 13
40,000
200
20,000
0 0
Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan
After August 2020 Until August 2020 After August 2020
Until August 2020
Schools were closed for 35 days. Schools remained open in late As of July 1, the government The minister of Education
Reopening was phased, and 2020 and early 2021. New authorized the voluntary delivered a statement
several alert levels created by Zealand is currently at Level 1, reopening of some schools, confirming that the first month
the government were adopted with mandatory classroom namely those located in rural of classes in 2021 will be online
as a reference. At Level 1, the attendance at schools, and soft areas, with zero or near-zero throughout the country, but that
population knew that reopening restrictions. The government’s contagion rates, and limited the government's goal is to
was safe, attendance was communication is effective, and internet access. However, until reopen schools as soon as the
mandatory, and social is done through its official the completion of this survey, no health situation is under control.
distancing, although website. consistent data were available Since August 2020, schools have
recommended, was not on how many schools had been partially open, and the full
mandatory; whereas at Level 4, reopened across the country. reopening of all schools is
all schools were closed. planned for April 15, 2021.
27Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
Portugal Contagion curve
After two months with all its schools clo sed, in M ay 2020 Portug al started a
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 16 May 18 Jun 27 Sep 14 Jan 21
Cases: Cases: gradual process to resume face-to-face classes. The decision was
Cases: Cases: Dec 21 Jan 4 Cases:
108.6 162.4 229.6 461.1 Cases: Cases: implemented w hen the c ontagi on curve was flat, and schools rem aine d
2,171.8 5,116.0 8,317.2
V open until the end of the school year on June 27, 2020.
Mar 30—
Apr 13
80,000
In Septembe r, authoritie s dete rmine d the re sum ption of f ace-to-f ace classe s
for the 2020–21 school ye ar. On that occasion, the con tagion curve show ed
60,000
a slight rise, and rem aine d hig h af ter stude nts re turned to school . Schools,,
40,000
however, we re not considere d resp onsible for th e significant change in
20,000
the c ountry's c ontagion curve. Health and education expe rts, and
0
Apr Jul Oct Jan
repre sentative s of the National Confe deration of Parents and the National
Association of School Directors ag ree that, although schools re ported new
cases, they have not been the focus of transmission.
Until August 2020 After August 2020
In May, high school students Since September 2020, the On January 4, 2021, after the Christm as and New Year's break, face-to-f ace
classes re sume d all over the country, in spite of an upward c ontagi on
returned to school on a country has resumed face-to-
curve. By the n, the num ber of daily cases had double d, w hen compare d to
voluntary basis. As the face classes. Social distancing
the beginning of the vacation period o n Decem ber 21, 2020. The government
government communicated its measures and the government’s
was reluctant to close schools ag ain, e specially for students under the age of
decisions and the reopening contingency plan were well
12. The prime ministe r state d several time s that “schools neithe r are nor were
process was successful, public received by the population. In the m ain fo cus of transmission” and that two consecutive school ye ars with
opinion resistance was December 2020, however, cases disrupted classes would re sult in m ajo r learning losse s. However, afte r
mitigated. Advanced health started to rise, and the Cabine t ministe rs became aw are that a new strain w as pre sent in the
measures were adopted in the government ordered schools to country, the governme nt decide d to suspe nd classes for all students for 15
country. close again due to the expansion days. According to the government’s decree, the resum ption of face-to-f ace
of a new variant. classes will be phased, subject to the guidelines of public health authorities.
28Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
United Kingdom Singapore
Total number of new cases per week
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 20 Jun 1 Jul 1 Aug 16 Sep 1 Dec 21 Jan 4 Apr 8 Jun 2 Jun 29
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Nov 21 Jan 4 Feb 1
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
131.0 63.3 106.0 169.0 Cases: Cases: Cases:
81.3 3,728.5 6,184.2 191.2 544.6 244.3
9.8 35.0 28.9
V V
May 5—
Apr 6— Jun 1
Apr 17 6,000
400,000
4,000
200,000
2,000
0 0
Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan
Until August 2020 After August 2020 After August 2020
Until August 2020
In Septembe r 2020, the school year
On June 1, 2020, schools began to Schools were closed for 55 days, Government communication on
started with mandato ry atte ndance for
partially reopen for some levels. 28 of which were considered school safety measures has been
all stude nts. On November 5, 2020, a
Full return began on June 15, 2020. vacation days. Stores were clear and consistent. Schools
new lock down w as impose d, and bars,
The government advised schools restaurants, gyms and non-essential allowed to reopen on June 19, reopened at the end of June, and
to develop their own planning, busine sse s were closed. Schools 2020, 17 days after the gradual remained open until the
training, and communication remained open, howeve r. On January and mandatory reopening of beginning of the end-of-year
plans with a view to implementing 5, 2021, the UK decree d a third schools. Government break on November 21, 2020.
protection measures. Even during lockdow n to respond to a new variant communication and Reopening was gradual in early
lockdown, schools remained open identified in the country. This time , transparency on the reopening 2021, with some students
to cater for vulnerable students both non-esse ntial establishme nts and plans was consistent, and the attending online classes, so as to
and the children of essential schools were closed, and have not ye t country saw very few occasional allow children, teachers and
workers. returned. National examinations have demonstrations against education professionals to be
been suspended.
reopening. tested.
29Legend: School closure Full school reopening Partial school reopening Vacations V Vacations during closure Cases: New weekly cases per million people
Sweden Uruguay
Total number of new cases per week
Total number of new cases per week
Mar 16 Apr 22 Jul 1 Sep 1 Nov 1 Dec 18
Jul 1 Aug 9 Dec 18 Jan 7
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
Cases: Cases: Cases: Cases:
24.8 15.9 9.5 28.0 83.2 895.8
554.7 244.0 5,413.7 4,387.
9 V
Apr 3—
Apr 13
40,000 6,000
4,000
20,000
2,000
0 0
Apr Jul Oct Jan Apr Jul Oct Jan
Until August 2020 After August 2020 Until August 2020 After August 2020
With the exception of high school, The government maintained the
The country became a refere nce In Octobe r, afte r schools
schools remained open, and classes were requirement for face-to-face classes. In
for remote e ducation. This is reope ned, and as the government
not suspended. Despite initial public schools, wearing masks was not
mainly due to the 2007 Ceibal gaine d the trust of the population,
resistance to the measures implemented mandatory, and no social distancing
measures were imposed. Still, data Plan, which f acilitate d the attendance became m andatory.
by the government, student attendance
from the Swedish Public Health distributio n of laptops to all Any cases that we re notifie d were
remained mandatory across the country.
Agency indicate that no students died stude nts. Resuming f ace-to-f ace checked, and by Decem ber most
Some parents whose children suffered
from comorbidities obtained a judicial until June 2020. Among teachers, classes w as voluntary, but schools were open, and we re able
order allowing their children not to contamination levels were not higher adhere nce w as hig h thanks to a to end the school ye ar as such.
attend classes. In spite of this, the general than among other professions clear reope ning strategy (in During the vacations, schools
understanding was that children's right (excluding health professionals), and particular for rural schools and promote d several activities
to education should be maintained. only 19 in every 100,000 teachers sparsely populated regions), involving their students. The
required admission to an ICU. coupled with efficient government return to school is scheduled fo r
communication efforts. March.
30Number of days during which schools remained closed
PISA Country Number of days during which schools were fully closed
Most countries that perform - Bolivia
well in the Programme for 57th Brazil
International Student - India
63rd Argentina
Assessment (PISA) tended to
- Nigeria
keep schools closed for a
64th Peru
shorter period of time, 43rd Chile
compared to those that are not 37th Israel
at the top of the ranking. 32nd Italy
6th Canada
When compared to the 14th
United
Kingdom
countries in the study, Brazil - South Africa
ranks 2nd in terms of how 1st/4t
China*
long schools remained h
20th Germany
closed.
18th Denmark
24th Portugal
* Although there was mass closure in the 23rd France
USA, UNESCO considers that such closure 2nd Singapore
was partial, given that specific schools 48th Uruguay
were allowed to continue operating
12th New Zealand
around the country.
13th United States*
11th Sweden
31The 20 countries with the longest school closures in the
world PISA Country Number of days during which schools were fully closed
71st Panama
A monitoring study carried out - El Salvador
by UNESCO reveals how long - Bangladesh
schools remained closed - Bolivia
during the pandemic. 57th Brazil
49th Costa Rica
For the purposes of this survey, - Kuwait
we observed that those 53rd Mexico
countries that did not perform - Myanmar
well on PISA, or that did not - Iraq
take that exam, tended to 46th United Arab Emirates
keep their schools closed for 76th Dominican Republic
longer. - Ecuador
- Venezuela
When compared to other 65th Saudi Arabia
countries which had data - Guatemala
collected by UNESCO, Brazil - Paraguay
- Cayman_Islands
ranks 5th in terms of how
- Ethiopia
long schools remained
- Uganda
closed.
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