Secondary schools reopening today

After closing in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, secondary schools in the Netherlands are opening their doors again for larger groups of students on Tuesday. In the last weeks before the summer holidays, students will be allowed to go to school again, but not all at once, ANP reports.

Unlike in primary schools, secondary school students and teachers both have to maintain social distancing as a precaution. For this reason sector organization VO-Raad expects that only about a quarter to a third of students will be able to go to school at the same time. The rest will continue distance learning like over the past 2.5 months.

How secondary schools organize this, differs from school to school. Many schools decided to give students who need physical attention most priority for coming into class.

Students and employees with any symptoms at all must stay at home. Those who are at increased risk due to underlying conditions are also urged to work and learn from home.

Students are also urged to avoid using public transport to get to school as much as possible. Instead they should walk, cycle or get a lift from parents or friends.