Francophone schools in Belgium will not close their doors completely again during the coming school year, not even if there are confirmed coronavirus infections, according to the final guidelines of the French-speaking community.
The schools will only be able to send individual classes home for a certain period of time, if there is an infection cluster within a class, which means that at least two confirmed cases have to turn up within 14 days.
The class can then be closed for a fortnight, and all pupils will have to be tested.
The rule applies to kindergartens, primary and secondary schools.
Additionally, if a kindergarten teacher tests positive, the entire class will also be closed for a fortnight.
The reason behind the measure is that kindergarten teachers have greater physical proximity to their pupils, which increases the risks. They are also the only teachers who do not have to wear masks in class.
The Brussels Times
