Several teaching models are being prepared for the upcoming school year that starts in September and one of envisages pupils regularly attending school if the epidemiological situation allows it.
In that case, children will have to wear protective masks and, if they do not, they may be suspended from school.
The Minister of Education, Mladen Šarčević, said that, come September, the discipline in schools will have to be much stricter than before, so pupils will be reminded that they must wear masks at all times and if they continue to take them off during lessons, they risk being suspended.
“We will devise special rules and regulations that apply in emergency situations so that students can be suspended because they remove the mask, it jeopardizes the safety of other children. The measures must be respected,” said Šarčević.
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He added that schools will provide masks for teachers and staff while parents will have to do the same for their children. The Minister’s recommendation is to procure washable cotton masks for children, suitable for their age.
Early next week, as announced, the Ministry of Education will present several teaching models to the government Crisis Unit so that the new school year can start on 1st September. Everything will also depend on the epidemiological situation in Serbia during the autumn.
Parents will be able to choose the option that will allow their children to attend classes online, from home.
“Some parents are afraid. There are also families where someone tested positive to the coronavirus, and then there are families where one or more members suffer from chronic diseases, so they are afraid that the children will bring the virus home from school,” Šarčević explained.
Youngest pupils take precedence in terms of school attendance, because children up to the age of 12 cannot stay at home alone by law, and, for pedagogical reasons, attending school is especially important for first grade pupils who have just started their education and need to adapt to the school environment.
All primary school students will have for classes a day from 1st September and classes will last 35 minutes each. The number of classes will increase as of October.
First and second grade pupils will attend school from 8.00 to 11.00h, third and fourth grade from 11.00 to 14.00, fifth and sixth grade from 14.00 to 17.00 and seventh and eighth grade from 17:00 to 20:00h.
(B92, 03.08.2020)
This post is also available in: Italiano