School In Coronavirus Era: Tri-State Area Likely To Learn From Countries Like Denmark, Taiwan
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Students will face a new reality when they go back to school. After months of social distancing and other changes in behavior, what classroom look like?
As CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported Tuesday, clues may be found overseas.
Children welcomed by security teams and hand-sanitation stations.
Inside, desks at least six and a half feet apart for social distancing.
This is the new norm for students in Denmark, where schools reopened last week, and it could be a sneak peak at what schools in the Tri-State Area will look like when students eventually return.
"Denmark's approach is to use different entrances and exits. They're not having any parents come through into the school," said education expert Dr. Karen Aronian.
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Aronian said she anticipates local schools will reopen with heightened bio-security measures, similar to those already being used in Denmark and in Taiwan.
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Taiwan has been praised for its efficient response to COVID-19. With a population of about 23 million, the country has just more than 400 cases and only six deaths.
"They are doing an infrared camera check, as you approach the school for every student, and they're all wearing face masks," Aronian said.
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Before entering the school, students have their temperature checked and must walk through a bleach solution to disinfect their shoes. Students put up plastic partitions at their desks when they eat lunch, which is the only time they're allowed to remove their masks.
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Education experts say schools could be considering several options to help with social distancing, like a combination of in-school and remote learning, or dividing classes into smaller groups and staggering the time they're in school.
"And there's going to be phenomenal data coming out from this time frame that informs school systems on how they can best proceed and how they can best model other school systems that have really been able to step forward gracefully," Aronian said.
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And beyond that, officials must also think about how some children will get to school. More school buses may be needed for students to maintain a safe social distance apart.
