Concerns about going back to school feel really localized right now. Some areas are dealing with greater spread of the virus than others.
We aren't the only ones with concerns, however. Parents all over the world are grappling with the same. It isn't even just about straight physical health. The health crisis has taken a toll on our children emotionally and socially as well. Some areas of the world are very careful in dealing with those matters. In other areas, parents are lamenting the lack of care about the big picture.
The internet has made it easier than ever for parents all over the world to connect with one another. Sure, our circumstances are different in many ways. There's a universality that comes with worrying for your children, however. We all want what's best for our families. Parents outside of the US are sharing what they're happy and unhappy with regarding how their area is handling schools.
Schools all around the world are handling the return to in-person learning differently. The circumstances are different in each area, but one thing is the same. Parents want to know that their kids are safe and that they're going to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
A Reddit thread about back-to-school had parents all over the world sharing what they're looking at and how they're feeling about it. There's definitely some hesitation in almost all of the parents, but there's some hope, too. There's comfort in knowing that even those in areas faring better than our own are still feeling cautious about moving forward.
In Canada, a return to normal has made many parents fearful of what the trajectory of the year will be.
“Canada, schools are being opened, at full classroom size but masks from K-12 are mandatory. I think it’s unlikely my province will cancel class and am bracing for the worse,” one parent shared.
“Son was going to do preschool this year, he is not anymore. Mainly because he’s so young, maybe I would send an older kid? Idk, it’s hard. Good luck!”
Families in Australia are seeing different solutions based on their areas. While some kids are going back, there will be some big changes.
"With [the] exception of schools in a designated area in Melbourne, Victoria. Schools are open albeit with restrictions around certain activities like sport," a parent noted.
"Unfortunately for my boys (they are at boarding school) all their winter sport against other schools has been canceled. Also, school formals (proms) and graduation ceremonies have also been canceled."
Germany has been faring well, but parents are concerned an uptick could cause chaos once students are back in school.
“Bavaria, Germany here. Our case numbers were pretty low for a while but have been trending up recently. Kindergartens have been operating almost normally since July, though with groups strictly separated and parents have to wear masks,” one commenter wrote.
“There have been partial school openings, but I’m not sure about the details. The current plan for after the summer break is to open schools mostly normally, with masks to be worn mandatorily when not sitting at one’s desk, classrooms to be aired frequently, and 1.5m minimum distance between teachers and students.
“Plus, there are detailed rules being developed for how to react to local or general outbreaks – which given the current trend might mean the above is already outdated by the time the break ends.”
Denmark has had their schools open, and so far, it's been working out.
"I'm from Denmark and there the schools have been back open for a few months. The younger ones since late April," the parent explained.
"It has been going surprisingly well. However, of course there have been some issues. One of the problems has been lack of space. The daycare institutions have been spending as much time as possible outside, in smaller groups. Easier to implement as they were already spending a lot of time outside. I don't see them closing again, at least not completely. They will use other tools to combat the spread."
Italy went through an incredibly hard time. They're still struggling as they figure out the path forward.
"In Italy, where I live now, the schools have been closed since late February (at least in my region). The government, in my opinion, has failed miserably in addressing the issues of children during this crisis," one commenter wrote.
"It is like they don't exist. They haven't protected their people. And now they are again failing in providing clear guidelines for the schools. In my region, they open back up mid-September. We will see how it goes. Due to how they have handled this, I very much suspect that we will be home again in a few months."
Families around the world, like this one in Czechia, are trying to balance their kids' social needs with the concerns for their health.
"Czechia here. Cases were relatively low due to early lockdown but there is an upward trend. Schools reopened before the end of term and will open as planned for the new school year on 1st Sep with masks being worn when outside their classroom," the parent wrote.
"Classes will not mix but I'm not sure how practical that is for secondary kids. Lockdown, mandatory masks and the lack of social interactions with peers caused lots of anxiety for our kids. We are expats and have not seen family since Christmas which has compounded things."
In Zimbabwe, where the virus situation is very much still an active concern with numbers on the rise, the rumors of some children going back are enough to concern parents.
“Zimbabwe, schools have been closed since March. Our cases are still rising, so I do not see schools opening anytime soon. My almost 4 year old was supposed to start primary school next year (ECD-A) but I don’t think the schools will take on new students since most students have missed out on almost an entire academic year (our year runs from January to December),” the parent explained.
“There have been rumors that examination classes will be the only ones to go back to school this year, that is Grade 7 (final year of primary), Form 4 (GCSEs) and Form 6 (A-Levels). They tried opening tertiary institutions but closed them when they realized the virus was spreading there. And if uni students can’t wash hands/socially distance, what about younger kids? It’s pretty sad though since my kid misses pre-school.”
Japan has enjoyed low numbers recently. While that's a relief in many senses, it also means the safety precautions are getting old to some. Still, schools are operating relatively successfully.
“Schools have been open since June (the school year here starts in April). Staff and students must wear masks at all times except for lunch. Desks are pulled as far apart as is possible in the classroom, and windows kept open for air circulation,” the parent explained.
“There have been a few reports of spread within schools, but not many. Most are linked to sports teams and/or dorms and not classrooms. I haven’t heard of any parents keeping their kids out of school, aside from the odd case where the child is immunocompromised.”
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
