All schools in the Netherlands must notify their teaching staff and students by 1 October at the latest whether the ventilation system in their school building is ‘corona proof’. This is evident from the plan about which the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) is writing in a brief to the House of Representatives.
Schools must communicate by October 1 that their school building meets the requirements for ventilation or come up with a plan to ensure that the building meets the requirements.
Furthermore, a national coordination team has been set up to ensure, among other things, that a national picture is created of the situation surrounding ventilation systems in schools.
In addition, one central point will be established where schools can obtain information about ventilation in schools. They can also go there with questions if they have doubts whether the ventilation in their school buildings is in order. Schools can visit the website for this weeropschool.nl. Schools could already turn to the same website with questions about protocols around the COVID-19 virus and distance education.
Now that the schools are fully reopening, the cabinet has given school leaders guidelines for corona-proof education. School buildings, for example, must be well ventilated to prevent possible contamination.
Doubts about ventilation regulations
According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), good ventilation prevents the spread of the corona virus. In addition, a ventilation system blows the same purified air back into a room, without the addition of new air.
However, there are doubts as to whether all schools can comply with these ventilation regulations.
Many schools have already checked the ventilation of their school buildings, wrote Minister Arie Slob for Primary and Secondary Education and Media to the House on Wednesday. However, it is not clear exactly how many schools are involved and whether the ventilation at these schools was in order or whether they need to adjust their systems.
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