Northern Ireland

Schools across Europe should remain open despite Delta variant, WHO and UNICEF say

All children are due to return to school this week
All children are due to return to school this week All children are due to return to school this week

SCHOOLS across Europe should remain open despite the spread of the highly infectious Covid Delta variant, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF have said.

Some children in Northern Ireland have already returned to the classroom, with all schools due to return for the autumn term this week.

Experts on the UK's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) have already warned that a huge rise in Covid cases is likely once all children return to school.

In a statement released today, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF said schools in Europe should remain open despite the rapidly spreading Delta variant.

The groups said children aged 12 and over who have underlying health conditions should receive a Covid vaccine as part of efforts to curb the spread.

WHO and UNICEF said steps to make schools safer should include offering vaccines to all school staff; making sure classrooms are well ventilated; teaching children in smaller groups; encouraging social distancing and regular testing of children and staff.

The groups said that the closure of schools during tough lockdowns across the continent, Republic and UK had greatly affected children's ability to learn.

Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said the pandemic had "caused the most catastrophic disruption to education in history".

"It will be some time before we can put the pandemic behind us but educating children safely in a physical school setting must remain our primary objective, so we don't rob them of the opportunities they so deserve," he said.

"We encourage all countries to keep schools open and urge all schools to put in place measures to minimise the risk of Covid-19 and the spread of different variants."

In the north, the Department of Education has told schools they can continue to teach children in class bubbles.

However, each school can decide if and how they use bubbles.

The department said guidance released to schools earlier this month "seeks to maximise the time where pupils are within a consistent group of pupils" for contact tracing purposes.

Post-primary pupils must continue to wear face-masks inside school from the start of the new term.

However, the executive will review the rule on October 8.