Coronavirus in Argentina | Today they will discuss the protocol with “bubble classrooms” for back to school

This Thursday the minimum and compulsory protocols for the progressive return of face-to-face classes. The Federal Council of Education will meet with the ministers of the 24 provinces to discuss the possible application of the “bubble classrooms“, initiative that contemplates the social distancing between the students.

The document, which draws on the experiences of other countries and considers the epidemiological news of each region, was presented by Minister Nicolás Trotta together with the advisory council and has broad consensus among the provinces.

This agreement foresees two instances: one prior to the opening of the schools to guarantee the necessary sanitary and hygiene conditions and another for when the establishments are in operation.

The Government trusts that 85% of the country can return to classrooms after July break. The return of the children to the classrooms will depend on the epidemiological reality of each district, which must necessarily be in phase 5.

The protocol

In this context the use of face masks will be compulsory; the social distancing; the classrooms must have few students and a mixed assistance systemIn other words, one group will go some days and another will continue with their tasks from home.

The Ministry proposes a model of “bubble classroom”, which consists of groups of eight students arranged on the sides of the classroom, the teacher in the center; or with the students sitting zig zag to the sides and the teacher at one end. What changes is the traditional arrangement of the banks and the number of people in the rooms.

“The protocols make up a work with guidelines that will adapt to local realities and are nourished by the experience that other countries have gone through in the educational field, as well as various sectors of the economy and production,” explained the Ministry of Education of the Nation in a statement.

In turn, the opening of schools and educational institutions will include the implementation of a “symptom search system” to activate detection and isolation protocols in a suspicious case.

It is not ruled out that teachers have the anti-flu vaccine as a requirement for the development of the activity. Children and adolescents should also have the Immunization Schedule up to date.