Students enter a school building on the first day of the new school year in Bjelovar, Croatia, Sept. 7, 2020. School teaching in Croatia has been interrupted since mid-March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite the recent resurgence of the epidemic, the Croatian government has ordered all schools to open on Sept. 7, 2020. (Damir Spehar/Pixsell via Xinhua)
ZAGREB, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Croatian government presented three models for teaching in primary and secondary schools at a regular session on Thursday.
School teaching in Croatia has been interrupted since mid-March due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite the recent resurgence of the epidemic, the Croatian government has ordered all schools to open on Monday.
Model A is teaching in schools. Model B means that schools, based on their own capabilities, can organize classes in their premises or via the internet, while Model C envisages only online classes.
The decision on the application of individual plans will be made based on the epidemiological situation when classes begin.
The government also recommended that lower-grade students attend classes in the morning, while upper-grade students in the afternoon, to reduce the number of students in schools. If schools do not have the conditions to work in shifts, the government proposes that part of the classes could be held online.
"Our goal is to reduce the concentration of students in schools as much as possible while adhering to hygiene measures," Minister of Education Radovan Fuchs said at the government session.
The minister announced that the schools will decide on the sanctions for students and teachers who refuse to wear masks.
The government has ordered higher-education institutions to respect epidemiological measures, but leaving them the option to organize classes at their own discretion.
According to the Croatian Institute of Public Health, 369 new COVID-19 infections were detected in the past 24 hours, an all-time high for daily increase since late February. A total of 11,094 people have been infected since then. And the total number of active cases stands at 2,634 currently. Enditem
