OVV: effect of school closure on corona infections uncertain
Closing schools largely and switching to distance learning during the corona pandemic was a drastic measure, but exactly how much it contributed to contain the infections remains unclear. The government must thoroughly evaluate such measures as soon as possible in order to be better prepared in the future, according to the Dutch Safety Board today.
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This second part in a series of three reports, it focuses on the period September 2020 to July 2021 and pays specific attention to primary and secondary education. The OVV outlines how the cabinet is December two years ago was confronted with rapidly spreading infections and again decided to largely close schools - the door remained open for vulnerable students. That had already happened in the spring, but the cabinet did not map out the impact and effects of that closure.
That could have yielded useful information, according to the OVV report: 'For example, an evaluation of the effects of the first school closure could have served as input for decision-making about the second school closure. When a measure has such a major impact on the daily lives of (vulnerable) children, it is important to be able to determine its usefulness and necessity as accurately as possible, even after the measure has been abolished.'
Contact moments
The report outlines how this second school closure was not taken because of the situation at the schools themselves, but to keep parents at home and thus limit 'travel movements and contact moments'.
"The decision leads to confusion and frustration among schools and parents if the government's communication shows that the school closure is mainly intended to reduce the number of contacts and travel movements of parents, and not to protect the children themselves against the virus. Moreover, it is not clear what the intended effect of the school closure is on mitigating the pandemic.' So far, it has remained unclear what the closure has contributed to slowing down the spread of the virus. According to the government and the OMT, the effects of individual measures within a larger package are difficult or impossible to determine.
This report confirms that schools closed to force parents to work from home AObchairman Tamar van Gelder. "School is not a shelter. Closing educational locations is so drastic that you should and may only do this when it comes to the health of students and teaching staff."
On some points, the OVV does see that the experiences with the first school closure came in handy during the second closure. For example, teachers had become more familiar with distance learning and the switch from physical to online lessons went better. Lessons have also been learned from the confusing 'half' reopening of primary education in the spring.
