THURSDAY 5 MARCH 2020Schools prepare for online
classes in event of closures
Pupils greet each other with a foot-to-foot tap at St Christopher’s Prep School, Hove, as part of efforts to prevent the spread of
coronavirus (Reuters)
ELEANOR BUSBY
EDUCATION CORRESPONDENT
Schools in the UK are preparing online learning resources, getting work ready for pupils to take home and
cancelling events as they brace for potential closures due to coronavirus.
As part of the government’s “battle plan”, schools may be forced to close if the outbreak worsens. However,
Public Health England’s advice is for them to stay open unless there is a positive case.
But school staff have begun discussing how to best minimise disruption to pupils’ learning and exam
preparation in the event of widespread school closures to contain the spread of the virus. This
follows Italy’s announcement that it will close all schools and universities for a week and a half in a bid to
slow the spread of coronavirus, as the death toll in the country rose to 107.
One school in the UK is having a training day to ensure staff can teach pupils remotely through “virtual
education”. Work booklets are also being produced which can be sent home with children. Meanwhile,
other schools are testing whether their email systems work and are assessing whether students can actually