x
Breaking News
More () »

Some countries sent kids back to school months ago, so what can the US learn from them?

Countries like Israel and South Korea returned to school as early as May.

Some Houston-area school districts are beginning to start school virtually in the next few weeks. But in some countries, students have already returned to the classrooms.

So how did it go?

Let's start with Denmark. It was one of the first western countries to go back to school during the coronavirus pandemic

Students returned on April 15, but there were some pretty strict protocols in place. Kids were kept in small groups, arrival times were staggered and many classes were held outside. Luckily, they have suffered no significant spikes in cases. 

South Korea reopened in phases starting on May 20, but the process has not been quite as smooth as Denmark. 

The country has plenty of rules in place -- temperatures are checked, masks are required along with social distancing. But as South Korea saw a resurgence in Seoul and cases among students, some schools were forced to shut down again.

Israel returned to class in early May. At the time, the country had pretty low transmission rates of coronavirus, but after reopening schools the country saw those case numbers jump up -- with some infections linked back to the schools. Therefore, schools were forced to shut down again.

In the Houston area, most school districts have opted for virtual learning for the first few weeks of the 2020-2021 school year.

Some families say indecision and late planning by their school districts are forcing them to come up with education alternatives, such as pulling their kids out of public schools altogether, creating small teaching pods, hiring tutors or choosing homeschooling.

It's a move, experts say, could hurt public education long term.

Before You Leave, Check This Out