Coronavirus in Poland. Changes in schools. Students switch to distance or semi-distance learning

Changes to schools in the yellow and red zones. As of Monday (October 19), yellow zone secondary schools are switching to hybrid teaching: partly in a building, partly at home due to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus epidemic. In turn, in the red zone, learning in high schools and technical schools will take place remotely. Kindergartens and primary schools are to operate unchanged.

They have been in the red zone since Saturday 152 counties and cities, including 11 provincial cities: Białystok, Bydgoszcz, Gdańsk, Kielce, Kraków, Lublin, Łódź, Olsztyn, Poznań, Rzeszów and Warsaw. The rest of the country is covered by the yellow zone.

From Monday, secondary school students who go to school in the red zone will have distance lessons. This applies to both public and private schools.

On the other hand, secondary school students who study in the institutions covered by the yellow zone will learn in a mixed mode. According to the ordinance of the minister of education, at least 50% students from a given school will have classes at school, and others remotely.

The way of organizing distance learning is left to school principals so that they adjust this form to the conditions in a given school. The school principal is also to set the schedule of classes in such a way as to enable even and alternate realization of these classes by each student.

There are 6,178 secondary schools in the red zone, i.e. 50.8 percent. these outposts of the country. 995.7 thousand learn there. students, or 54.8 percent. all students in secondary schools. There are 5,978 secondary schools in the yellow zone, with 821.5 thousand students. students, or 45.2 percent. all students in secondary schools.

In the red zone, remote teaching will also apply to primary schools for adults, continuing education institutions and continuing education centers. There will be hybrid teaching in the same types of schools in the yellow zone.

The regulations oblige principals of mainstream and integrated secondary schools to organize teaching in the full-time mode or with the use of distance education methods and techniques on the school premises for students who, due to disability or home conditions, are not able to teach with the use of educational methods and techniques in distance.

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According to the Ministry of Education, there will be exceptions in both zones.

Classroom teaching will be conducted as it has been so far in special secondary schools, including those operating in special educational and educational centers, youth educational centers, youth sociotherapy centers and special schools preparing for work. The Ministry of National Education explains this by the fact that these schools operate in facilities where young people are provided with education, upbringing and 24-hour care, as well as specialist, therapeutic and revalidation classes.

In case of schools and establishments providing vocational training practical classes in the yellow and red zones will, as a rule, be conducted stationary, including at employers’ premises.

If the curriculum for a given profession makes it possible to carry out some of the classes remotely, then the school or facility will be able to conduct these classes using the methods and techniques of distance learning.

Apprenticeships in the red zone, they will be carried out stationary or in the form of an educational project or a virtual enterprise. In the yellow zone, apprenticeships will take place stationary – unless there are any events threatening the health of students at the employer’s.

The restriction will also not apply to juvenile employees who are students the first-degree industry school in the field of practical classes at employers. They will carry out practical classes, as long as there are no events threatening their health at the employer.

W music schools The first and second degree classes in instrument playing are to be conducted at school, the rest may be carried out remotely.

In the case of 1st level general music schools, 1st and 2nd grade general 1st level music schools and 4th grade general education ballet schools, i.e. corresponding to primary schools, the activities are to be carried out at school.

In case of fine arts high schools, grades V and VI of general art schools, grades III-VI of general secondary music schools and grades VI-IX of general education ballet schools, i.e. those corresponding to high schools, classes in vocational subjects are carried out in schools, and the remaining classes are carried out remotely.

The restriction will also not apply to boarding schools in which students are staying.

Kindergartens and primary schools for children and adolescents, regardless of the zone, are to operate as before, with sanitary requirements. In these facilities, the consent of the Department of Health and Safety is still required to suspend full-time classes for some or all students.

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