Students of all educational stages will return to class in person from Monday 10 January throughout Spain, as agreed on Tuesday by the Government and autonomous communities.
The meeting was held in Moncloa eight months after the last meeting in which changes were agreed for the 2021-22 academic year: face-to-face at all levels and the possibility of reducing interpersonal distance from 1.5 to 1.2 metres.
“Presence is an absolute priority and has been decided unanimously in the meeting that we have held”, assured the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias. “It is very important to continue with vaccination, vaccines protect us and save lives. It is also important to strengthen protocols, ” she says.
Darias has appeared with the Ministers of Education and Universities to give a more detailed account of what was agreed and stressed that Spanish schools are “safe” and has insisted on the importance of vaccination.
She has also asked to “reinforce” the use of masks, ventilation and hygiene.
There had been calls to delay the return to school due to the increase in Omicron cases during the Christmas period.
As stated by the Minister of Health, ventilation will be guaranteed; the use of masks; the opening of all educational centres and maximum attendance from 10 January; communication and dissemination to the entire educational community about prevention measures will be intensified; child vaccination will be reinforced; and compliance with all protocols in university centres and residences will be reinforced.
