(i) What are the steps to be taken to protect all the students in the school.
Answers
Answer:
Teachers want to be strict
Answer:
Maintain a distance of at least 1 metre between everyone present at school
Increase desk spacing (at least 1 metre between desks), stagger recesses/breaks and lunch breaks (if difficult, one alternative is to have lunch at desks)
Limit the mixing of classes for school and after-school activities. For example, students in a class will stay in one classroom throughout the day, while teachers move between classrooms; or classes could use different entrances, if available, or establish an order for each class to enter and leave the building/classroom
Stagger the school day to vary the start and end times and avoid having all the students and teachers together at once
Consider increasing the number of teachers, if possible, to allow for fewer students per classroom (if space is available)
Advise against crowding during school pick-up or day care, and if possible avoid pick up by older family or community members (i.e. grandparents). Arrange school pick up/drop off times differently (according to age group) to decrease any large gatherings of children at a given time
Use signs, ground markings, tape, barriers and other means to maintain 1 metre distance in queues around entrances
Discuss how to manage physical education and sports lessons
Move lessons outdoors or ventilate rooms as much as possible
Encourage students not to gather and socialize in big groups upon leaving school grounds.
To do
To encourage your students to stick to the rules, it can be helpful to create a dos and dont’s list with them. Develop a list together around how students will greet each other; how desks will be arranged; physical distancing measures during lunch breaks (who they will sit with, play with during breaks, how they can schedule time with all of their friends across the week).
Health and hand hygiene
Teachers have a critical role to play in ensuring students understand the precautions they should take to protect themselves and others from COVID-19, and it is important you lead by example in the classroom.
Handwashing is one of easiest, more cost efficient and effective way of combating the spread of germs and keeping students and staff healthy.
Teach the five steps for handwashing
Wet hands with safe, running water
Apply enough soap to cover wet hands
Scrub all surfaces of the hands – including backs of hands, between fingers and under nails – for at least 20 seconds. You can encourage students to sing a quick song at this point to make it a fun habit
Rinse thoroughly with running water
Dry hands with a clean cloth or single-use towel.
If there is limited access to a sink, running water or soap in the school, then use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol.
Did you know? Cold water and warm water are equally effective at killing germs and viruses – as long as you use soap!
> Read: Everything you need to know about washing your hands to protect against coronavirus (COVID-19)
Encourage students to get into the practice of regularly washing their hands and/or applying hand sanitizers at key moments, such as entering and leaving the classroom; touching surfaces, learning materials, books, and after using a tissue to blow their nose.
Students should always cough and/or sneeze into their elbow. However, if by accident they do so in/on their hands, instruct them to immediately wash their hands or apply hand sanitizer. If students sneeze or cough into a tissue, ensure that it is disposed of immediately and that they wash their hands. It is extremely important to normalize the idea of frequent and routine handwashing.
Even with clean hands, encourage students to avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth. Germs can transfer from those areas on to their clean hands and spread around the classroom this way.
Reinforce frequent handwashing and sanitation and procure needed supplies. Prepare and maintain handwashing stations with soap and water, and if possible, place alcohol-based hand sanitizers in each classroom, at entrances and exits, and near lunchrooms and toilets.
To do
Identify some practical steps/activities you can take to demonstrate good hygiene practices to your students. Examples include:
Creating a hand hygiene song to sing with your students
Have students draw hygiene posters for the classroom
Set a hand hygiene ritual. You can select a specific time during the day, such as before/after lunchtime for everyone to wash their hands/apply hand sanitizer
Physically demonstrate how to wash your hands and apply sanitizer
Keep a points system in your classroom, giving points to students each time they wash their hands or apply sanitizer
Have students create a public service announcement on hand hygiene and place these posters/ announcements throughout the classroom or school in highly visible places