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Schools reopen in Hungary amid special precautions against coronavirus
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It was a back-to-school-Tuesday for Hungarian youngsters and children as schools reopened with a set of special precautions due to the novel coronavirus.
At the prestigious Dániel Berzsenyi Secondary School in Budapest, children are finishing the first day, most of them smiling and taking their masks off, while stepping out onto the street.
“It was only a half-day, with no real teaching,” Peti Müller, 17, told Xinhua. “They told us what to expect in the school-year. We received our time-tables, and they told us how to behave because of the virus.”
Müller, who was sad to learn that the number of his Latin courses increased, explained that the wearing of the masks was advised in classes, and compulsory in the corridors.
“Teachers and senior students will make sure that social distancing is also kept and that children sanitize their hands on a regular basis,” he said.
The Ministry of Human Capacities, in charge of education in Hungary, developed a detailed, eight-page recommendation and protocol, which was sent to the directors of each and every establishment.
The suggestions also cover distance, disinfection, or how to get to school in order to avoid crowds. There are also recommendations on how to avoid congestion when pupils arrive at school, such as having multiple doors open in order to enter the institutions, Hungarian news agency MTI said.
Suggestions also include the size of classrooms, the use of community rooms, the start of school, and the creation of appropriate catering conditions. It is also highly recommended to keep physical education classes outdoors depending on the weather.
During the lessons, tasks involving close physical contact should be avoided if possible.
Hand disinfection will be available at the school gate and in each community room. Each school, with a specific disinfectant, undergoes thorough cleaning at the beginning of the school year and this disinfection should be repeated every day, according to MTI report.