Millions Of Italians Children Return To School After Months Of Interruption

 

Millions of Italian children returned to the classroom on Monday as most schools reopened more than six months after they were shut to curtail the the spread of coronavirus pandemic.

Although some Italian schools opened earlier this month, about 5.6 million students from a total of eight million went back to school on Monday, facing a new reality of restrictions.

Italy was one of the first country l in Europe to be hit by the pandemic, which has now officially killed over 35,500 people out of a total of 280,000 cases.

Premier Giuseppe Conte stated on Sunday that Italian schools faced a difficult situation, including a lack of teachers, single-seat benches and surgical masks.

“There will be difficulties and inconveniences, especially in the beginning,” Conte wrote on Facebook.

He also congratulated teachers, who he said had “made an extraordinary effort in the months of confinement to continue lessons and distant learning”.

“We are grateful to you,” he said.

With the country recordering more than 1,500 infections a day, Conte also had particular words for youngsters.

“You have to do your part. You have to commit yourselves to the rules of caution that will allow you to protect your health and the health of the people you love,” he stated.

Italian Education Minister Lucia Azzolina said more than 5,000 extra classrooms had been provided to give pupils more space.

Nevertheless, some southern regions including Puglia and Calabria already postponed the reopening until September 24, over concerns they were not ready to meet all the new requirements.

Italian officials indicated the back-to-school strategy involved immediate quarantine of those “in close contact” with a student or teacher testing positive.

After a positive result, pupils will be allowed back to school only after regaining two negatives, carried out a day apart.