Singapore is slowly easing up its policies to help Singaporeans get back on their feet and started reopening up important facilities in small batches. Schools, in particular, are now reopening its doors for graduating students and those who will be taking their national examinations starting May 19.
For this reopening, several measures will be followed to ensure that students will be protected from the virus such as class scheduling, social distancing in classrooms and optional attendance.
Other Countries Reopening their schools slowly
Aside from Singapore, other countries are also moving forward to reopening schools. The United Kingdom, for example, will be reopening its primary schools in June. Malaysia are allowing daycares and childcare to open from 4th May onwards.
Meanwhile, other schools in Singapore will be experiencing a “phased” opening to ensure that schools will be safe for students and reduce the risk of an outbreak as mentioned here.
Tips to get your child to stay safe in school
While government has taken extra precautionary measures as listed here, it is our responsibility to keep our children safe. To help your child stay safe while they are in school, teach them these following tips and tell them to practice it regularly:
1) Always wash hands
Experts have said that regular hand washing can go a long way from stopping the virus from staying in your body.
As much as possible, tell your child to wash their hands before and after eating, after they use the restroom and after they touch items which many people have used.
You can pack a small travel soap in their kit to help reinforce this habit besides reading up our recommendation on how to strengthen your kid’s immunity system.
2) Don’t forget to wear a mask
It is now required in Singapore to always wear a mask when going outdoors. It may only be removed when you are back home and during strenuous exercise.
Make sure that your child does not forget their mask and leave your home without them. You should also make it a point to teach them how to properly wear their mask and how to dispose of them when it is time to change to a new mask.
If there are no masks available, procure a face shield for them to use. Remember, failure to use either a mask or a face field will cause a fine of up to $300.
3) Eat in a separate table or away from crowds.
Social distancing is a must when going outdoors since the virus can be transferred from one person to another by talking, coughing, and sneezing.
If your child must have their meals in school, ask them to do it far from others so their food won’t get contaminated by the virus. Tell them to pick a table which is far from large groups.
4) Stop touching your face!
Our hands can also get the virus from the things we touch which a person with the virus may have touched.
Sometimes, we use them to touch our face, which is dangerous because viruses can jump into your eyes, nose and mouth to get into your body.
It can be difficult to teach your child to stop touching their face, but let them know the dangers of doing so, especially if they do not wash their hands regularly.
5) Teach your child to always check their temperature
One symptom of COVID-19 is having high fever which constantly increases one’s body temperature. However, our kids tend to ignore their sickness if they feel like it will only stop them from doing the things they want.
Others may not realise they have a spiking body temperature because they don’t feel sick. Teach them the importance of checking their temperature because it can help them determine if something is wrong with their body and if they need to ask for medical assistance.
Have them bring a digital thermometer in their bag and tell them when they should check their temperature.
Of course, don’t forget to tell them to do it under the shade because long exposure to the sun can cause our body temperature to increase.
6) If they feel unwell, they should approach their teacher for assistance
If they suddenly feel woozy or weak, you should tell your child to reach out to their teacher for help.
The teacher can help bring your child to the school clinic, which would then check if your child are displaying any symptoms. The teacher will also take necessary precautions and follow next protocol steps.
If your child is unwell, please keep your child at home and seek medical assistance asap.
7) Encourage them to talk to their classmates to follow the guidelines against COVID-19
If your child sees their classmates not following the social distancing measures and not wearing their mask, tell him to speak to them and let them know why it is important.
If his classmates are ignoring his advice, your child should approach his teacher and allow his teacher to supervise the situation. If his peers are bullying your child due to this, here are some advice.
8) Travel to school and home on their own
If your child can commute to school and back to your home by themselves, tell them to travel on their own for the meantime. Do not go home with groups of friends.
This will reduce the chances of them getting exposed to other people who may have the virus.
9) Tell them to go home immediately after school
If your child does not have any extra activities after school, tell them to go home immediately.
If they stay at the school, they increase their chances of getting the virus from their peers and the people around them. They shouldn’t linger outside or hang around under void decks with their classmates.
10) Clean up your stuff and take a bath when they get home
When your child gets home, make sure to ask him to go straight to the bathroom to take a bath. Their clothes should be washed immediately and have their things like schoolbag wipe down with a disinfectant wipe.
Besides keeping good hygiene, parents can promote your child’s immunity by introducing these healthy foods.
Conclusion
Our children’s education is important because it will lead them to the career of their dreams. However, with the current pandemic still far from its conclusion, it is important that their health won’t be at risk once they start going back to school.
Take some time to teach your kids these steps we gave above so that they can stay safe and protected whilst pursuing their academic goals.
For the latest education news ongoing in Singapore, you may be interested in these articles:
MOE unsuspend Zoom for Lessons with New Safety Measures
National Exams to Continue: How are Our Students Going to Cope without Teachers in Classrooms?
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