At the beginning of the course, the most frequently repeated words are illusion and uncertainty. Nearly seven months after the alarm caused teachers and students to switch to computer screens and blackboards, local primary schools are now ready to welcome students. IDEAL spoke to the heads of studies at the various educational centers to get a better idea of what the return to school will look like in the area.

There are four educational centers that offer primary education in the city’s urban core. They open their classes today: SAFA (Santa Rey), Alonso Alcala, Jose Garnica, and Cristo Rey. They have all reviewed the recommendations of the Ministry of Education, the Delegation of Education in Jaen, the Junta de Andalucia, as well as the health authorities and created a protocol of actions in the educational centre where the necessary measures will be taken. This course was marked by the pandemic. Domingo Ruiz, director of Sagrada Familia Schools said that each center had adapted the Ministry of Health’s preventive measures and developed its own Covid protocol to meet the needs of each center.

They agreed that they all created the so-called “school coexistence groups” despite the differences in the different centers. This will allow them to coexist with certain courses and cycles, which will avoid being directly related to the students at the center. This will ensure that each center has its own entrance and exit, and use different doors.

For example, in Alonso Alcala there are four coexistence groups. They have been separated into different buildings and will enter through various doors, as M.a Patrocinio Pasadas Fernandez predicted. She said that in this center, there was also a face to face reinforcement with 82 students. “We have not had any problems,” she admitted.

Jose Luis Pinto Sanchez (head of studies at Cristo Rey center) stated that “there is no teacher who doesn’t want to receive students. They also contribute to these staggered entrances and exits as well as to the school coexistence group. This is a similar case to SAFA, as they accept children from infant through ESO. The students are also more diverse.

Jose Garnica, the director of the center, highlighted that recess will be staggered in three time slots and there will differing groups for the morning classroom as well as the dining room. There are some measures that aim to minimize the risk of contagion.

SAFA will be adding two teachers to its so-called “Covid-19 support teachers”, one for primary and one secondary. Two teachers have joined the Alonso Alcala staff, but they are not able to do doubles in classrooms, as highlighted by the center. Two more teachers will be joining the Cristo Rey staff, and one will join Jose Garnica’s Jose Garnica center.

Additionally, the protocol emphasizes preventive measures that are already well-known to all. This includes the use mask, frequent hand washing, and the use hydroalcoholic gel often. It also tries to maintain a distance at least one meter. These protocols also include a specific protocol for when a case of coronavirus is found within the center.

The youngest students will be able to adjust to the regulations during these first days. Schools requested the cooperation of students so they can all develop the plans.

All educational centers convey a calm message to students and parents. They recognize that it is difficult, but that all necessary steps are being taken to make the space as safe as possible. They also called for parents and students to share responsibility with the center, so that they can assimilate the rules.

Infographic back to the school of the municipal council. / IDEAL

Although the local centers still offer morning classes and dining room services, they will continue to offer them. In the case of the dining hall, students will be split into groups, and shifts will be created so that students don’t overlap with other school groups. These services are designed to help mothers and fathers and promote family reconciliation. Other issues in the Education area were also highlighted, such as the September 14th start of school transport or the provision municipal buildings for educational centers.