Universities, schools to reopen with face-to-face classes

El Pais 08 January 2022

An agreement was reached on Tuesday, 4 January 2022, between Spain’s central government and the country’s regions that the upcoming school term would begin as normal on 10 January, despite the unprecedented levels of coronavirus infections currently being registered in Spain. Speaking after the meeting, Health Minister Carolina Darias said that finding consensus “has not been easy, but it has been possible”, writes Elisa Silio for El Pais.

Education Minister Pilar Alegria added a message of calm for families ahead of the return to the classroom next week: “Yes to prudence, but no to scaremongering.” The minister added that during the pandemic in Spain, schools have “not exported cases, but have imported them from other environments”.

Joan Subirats, the new universities minister, who was making his first appearance in the role before the press, reinforced this idea. “We need to avoid the sensation of constant change in the health situation, we need to generate certainty and a feeling of protection,” he said. “I’m aware of this because this last semester I have seen it myself. Universities are ready to deal with this issue.” The Catalan politician was teaching a course at the Barcelona Autonomous University late last year after leaving the city council.
Full report on the El Pais site

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