Road Map for K-12 Education
The Danish School System Summer, 2020 V.1.0
Case Study: The Danish School System Author / Summer 2020 Kristen Tate Head of Communications, Schmidt/Hammer/ Lassen/Architects
In Denmark, schools and other parts of society were shut down on March 12, 2020 to halt the spread of COVID-19. As cases began to stabilize, the government began the controlled reopening of Denmark which included the opening of grades 0 (the equivalent of U.S. kindergarten) to five in elementary schools. Before- and afterschool care (for pupils up to the fifth grade) opened at the same time. General guidelines on reopening were provided by the government, and schools were required to implement the guidelines in a way that made sense for their individual school. Examples of precautions taken are included on the following page.
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Case Study: The Danish School System
Insights from Denmark ― Strategies • Drop off and pick up of students happens outside the building. Parents and caregivers are only permitted inside the building on a limited basis.
• Regular cleaning and disinfection happen throughout the school day. • There are limits on what can be brought from home (toys, for example).
• Children always apply hand sanitizer before entering the building.
• For children eating school-provided lunch, they are often served as individual servings instead of family-style.
• As much learning as possible happens outside, and natural, fresh air ventilation while inside is a priority. • Students are divided into small groups and have remained with those small groups for learning and recreation over the course of the pandemic. • Hand washing stations are placed around schools. Some schools have used the hand washing stations from cancelled outdoor summer festivals.
• Markers are placed on the floors throughout the school to designate how far apart from each other students should stand or sit to maintain proper distance.
The Ministry of Children and Education established a coronavirus hotline for schools to receive direct support education-specific issues.
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We are here to assist you in your return to school. For more information, please contact: K12Education@perkinswill.com