site.btaBalkan Countries Prepare for New School Year amid Fourth COVID Wave
SC 17:36:31 30-08-2021
DD1738.117
117 BALKAN BRIEF
Balkan Countries Prepare for
New School Year amid
Fourth COVID Wave
Sofia, August 30 (BTA) - Determined to prevent a repeat of last school year, when the majority of students in the Balkans studied remotely most of the time, most Balkan countries have announced an in-person start of the 2021/2022 school year. However, it is still unclear how long in-person classes will last in view of the increase in coronavirus cases in the Balkans. Here is how the Balkan countries plan to start the school year:
GREECE
Schools in Greece will not switch to distance learning this year, and the government will look for other measures to combat possible outbreaks of the coronavirus, Greek Deputy Education Minister Zeta Makri said. The school year will start on September 13, as usual, subject to strict safety protocols against COVID-19. Some 75 to 80 percent of teachers are vaccinated or at least have an appointment for vaccination. Students will have to come to school either with a vaccination certificate (for the 12-17 age group) or with a certificate showing they have had COVID-19 in the last six months. Otherwise, they will have to self-test twice a week and bring proof of a negative result when entering the school. Teachers who have not been vaccinated and have not had COVID-19 will need to take a laboratory test twice a week.
TURKEY
Turkey will start in-person classes on September 6, and teachers and school staff who have not been vaccinated will be required to take a PCR test at least twice a week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. There will also be a requirement for a PCR test for university students and staff who have not been vaccinated. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca clarified that the mandatory regular PCR tests that will be required of unvaccinated people in Turkey will be free.
ROMANIA
The school year in Romania will start with in-person classes on September 13 until an incidence rate of 6 per 1,000 population is reached, Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu said. Parents will receive consent forms for the vaccination of children over 12 years of age.
ALBANIA
Albania has postponed the start of the school year by two weeks, until September 27, said Education, Sports and Youth Minister Evis Kushi. The extra time will be used to fill the gaps caused by learning in pandemic conditions by providing additional training. To this end, a period of additional training will start on September 1, during which students will not be required to go to school every day, but teachers and all school staff will have to be available full time.
SERBIA
Serbia's coronavirus taskforce has decided to start the country's school year on September 1 with 45-minute classes, according to Education Minister Branko Ruzic. The country envisions three modes of classes, depending on the epidemic situation. In the first mode, students will sit together at desks and wear masks while talking, and vaccinated teachers will not wear masks until they approach a student less than 1.5 meters away. The second mode will apply to seventh and eighth grade primary school students and to secondary school students who will alternate daily between in-person and online classes. The third mode will be applied in the municipalities with the highest number of people infected with COVID-19: online training will be conducted for secondary school students, and combined training for primary school students.
NORTH MACEDONIA
The school year in North Macedonia will begin with in-person classes on September 1 when students will receive their certificates for completing the previous school year. Online training or a hybrid mode, which provides for some students to study online and some in-person, will be applied if the health authorities find that the COVID-19 situation is deteriorating. In cases of rare diseases, chronically ill family members or at the parents' request, children will be able to study online, with the permission of the school.
SLOVENIA
In Slovenia, the new school year begins on September 1 with a requirement for regular testing of school staff without vaccination or COVID-19 history. School principals have received an ordinance according to which an employee's refusal to be tested for COVID-19 can be grounds for dismissal. All school staff who have not had the virus or have not been vaccinated must be tested every week, and an unjustified refusal be considered a breach of duty. In this case, the employee will be issued a written warning before dismissal or a dismissal procedure will be initiated. The same applies to employees who refuse to wear protective masks. The authorities are introducing a requirement for weekly testing of students with no vaccination or COVID-19 history. This testing will be free for students and will be funded by the State.
MONTENEGRO
The school year in Montenegro will begin on September 1 as usual, but classes will last 30 minutes instead of 45, according to Montenegrin Ministry of Education State Secretary Milica Kadovic. The Education Ministry also envisions a switch to online classes depending on the epidemic situation. RY/MT
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DD1738.117
117 BALKAN BRIEF
Balkan Countries Prepare for
New School Year amid
Fourth COVID Wave
Sofia, August 30 (BTA) - Determined to prevent a repeat of last school year, when the majority of students in the Balkans studied remotely most of the time, most Balkan countries have announced an in-person start of the 2021/2022 school year. However, it is still unclear how long in-person classes will last in view of the increase in coronavirus cases in the Balkans. Here is how the Balkan countries plan to start the school year:
GREECE
Schools in Greece will not switch to distance learning this year, and the government will look for other measures to combat possible outbreaks of the coronavirus, Greek Deputy Education Minister Zeta Makri said. The school year will start on September 13, as usual, subject to strict safety protocols against COVID-19. Some 75 to 80 percent of teachers are vaccinated or at least have an appointment for vaccination. Students will have to come to school either with a vaccination certificate (for the 12-17 age group) or with a certificate showing they have had COVID-19 in the last six months. Otherwise, they will have to self-test twice a week and bring proof of a negative result when entering the school. Teachers who have not been vaccinated and have not had COVID-19 will need to take a laboratory test twice a week.
TURKEY
Turkey will start in-person classes on September 6, and teachers and school staff who have not been vaccinated will be required to take a PCR test at least twice a week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced. There will also be a requirement for a PCR test for university students and staff who have not been vaccinated. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca clarified that the mandatory regular PCR tests that will be required of unvaccinated people in Turkey will be free.
ROMANIA
The school year in Romania will start with in-person classes on September 13 until an incidence rate of 6 per 1,000 population is reached, Education Minister Sorin Cimpeanu said. Parents will receive consent forms for the vaccination of children over 12 years of age.
ALBANIA
Albania has postponed the start of the school year by two weeks, until September 27, said Education, Sports and Youth Minister Evis Kushi. The extra time will be used to fill the gaps caused by learning in pandemic conditions by providing additional training. To this end, a period of additional training will start on September 1, during which students will not be required to go to school every day, but teachers and all school staff will have to be available full time.
SERBIA
Serbia's coronavirus taskforce has decided to start the country's school year on September 1 with 45-minute classes, according to Education Minister Branko Ruzic. The country envisions three modes of classes, depending on the epidemic situation. In the first mode, students will sit together at desks and wear masks while talking, and vaccinated teachers will not wear masks until they approach a student less than 1.5 meters away. The second mode will apply to seventh and eighth grade primary school students and to secondary school students who will alternate daily between in-person and online classes. The third mode will be applied in the municipalities with the highest number of people infected with COVID-19: online training will be conducted for secondary school students, and combined training for primary school students.
NORTH MACEDONIA
The school year in North Macedonia will begin with in-person classes on September 1 when students will receive their certificates for completing the previous school year. Online training or a hybrid mode, which provides for some students to study online and some in-person, will be applied if the health authorities find that the COVID-19 situation is deteriorating. In cases of rare diseases, chronically ill family members or at the parents' request, children will be able to study online, with the permission of the school.
SLOVENIA
In Slovenia, the new school year begins on September 1 with a requirement for regular testing of school staff without vaccination or COVID-19 history. School principals have received an ordinance according to which an employee's refusal to be tested for COVID-19 can be grounds for dismissal. All school staff who have not had the virus or have not been vaccinated must be tested every week, and an unjustified refusal be considered a breach of duty. In this case, the employee will be issued a written warning before dismissal or a dismissal procedure will be initiated. The same applies to employees who refuse to wear protective masks. The authorities are introducing a requirement for weekly testing of students with no vaccination or COVID-19 history. This testing will be free for students and will be funded by the State.
MONTENEGRO
The school year in Montenegro will begin on September 1 as usual, but classes will last 30 minutes instead of 45, according to Montenegrin Ministry of Education State Secretary Milica Kadovic. The Education Ministry also envisions a switch to online classes depending on the epidemic situation. RY/MT
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