HELSINKI, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Finland plans to change its education laws to allow schools to transition to distance or online learning in grades one to nine. Minister of Education Li Andersson said on Tuesday that it may be necessary for the country's schools to offer both in-class contact teaching and distance learning in the autumn 2020 semester.
Following the closing of schools in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government used its emergency powers to arrange for a switch to distance learning. Now that the COVID-19-related restrictions are planned to be gradually eased, the legislation in force does not allow distance learning to be offered to students in grades one to nine, Andersson said at a government press conference. The government thus plans to amend the law to allow distance learning temporarily, as an alternative.
Early education (day care) services and grades one to nine will resume full service in Finland on Thursday, as the government has announced earlier.
The issue of the inadmissibility of distance learning has come up as some parents wanted to keep their children at home. However, remaining at home is only possible if the child has been deemed to be at a medical risk confirmed by doctors. Otherwise it is considered unlawful absence.
Minister Andersson underlined that the positive impact on students of the resumption of normal school work is weightier than the risk of the pandemic striking again. Andersson referred to the experience of other European countries, where the reopening of schools has not accelerated the spread of the virus.
Following the expiry of the state of emergency, the Finnish government has no power to close schools, but regional authorities could do it on the basis of health laws if required, Andersson said.
Andersson noted that schools have been the first to open after the COVID-19 restrictive measures were eased in many European Union (EU) countries. In neighboring Sweden and in Iceland, schools remained open through the pandemic, while in Norway and Denmark they reopened in April. Enditem
