Spainâs central government is proposing to maintain coronavirus prevention measures at schools during the next academic year, according to a document sent Thursday to regional authorities that EL PAÃS has seen.
The document, drawn up jointly by the Education and Health ministries, suggests keeping face masks mandatory for students who are six and older when they return to school in September after the summer holidays. It also supports maintaining so-called bubbles â stable groups of students â or, failing that, keeping a safety distance between them.
But there is a relevant change regarding the distance between desks inside the classroom: it may be reduced to 1.2 meters, down from the current 1.5 meters. The goal is to make space for more students in each classroom, thereby guaranteeing in-person learning for students at all stages of the Spanish education system, including secondary school, Bachillerato (post-16 education comparable to British A-levels or the International Baccalaureate), vocational training and specialized arts and sports degrees.