how to send children back to school and students back to university during a pandemic: comparing countries

In the UK and elsewhere, there's the problem of 'how to get the kids back to school/university'.

There does seem to be some desperation about it - because it's very much about us all returning to 'normal':

Jay Doubleyou: is the purpose of education 'social uplift' - or 'social control'?

Jay Doubleyou: school is just a place to park your kids

CNN reports on the US president: 

He desperately wants to kickstart the economy and needs people to feel as though they are returning to "normal," and getting kids back to school is, he believes, one of the best ways to do just that.

Donald Trump's push to reopen schools has very clear dangers - CNNPolitics

And in the US, the return to school/university has become very politicised:

Why are the Trump administration and GOP senators playing politics with school reopening? - Education Votes

In Europe, things are going much better:

Why U.S. kids can’t go back to school and German kids can | Trudy Rubin

The manner in which schools open, and other measures across society, appear relevant. Virologist Christian Drosten believes the lack of school-based Covid clusters in Germany is more down to there being relatively little virus transmission happening in the country, thanks to an early response and effective testing and tracing. If so, keeping schools open may be more challenging in countries where the infection rate is rising such as Spain, Italy and France. 

In May, Israel inflamed its just-tamed epidemic by racing to open classrooms before there were proper social-distancing measures in place and without a robust contact-tracing system. By contrast, Denmark has been seen as a model for implementing reduced class sizes, near-hourly hand-washing and a blend of online and on-site learning to avoid overcrowding.

Coronavirus: Are Schools Safe to Reopen? Norway and Germany Offer a Clue - Bloomberg

Because Scotland has slowly eased out of lockdown, the government has been able to closely monitor how reopening schools impacts the spread of COVID-19. In contrast, schools in England are reopening at the same time as businesses are encouraged to return to workplaces, which may make it more difficult to monitor where and how the virus is spreading.

How Children Are Returning to School in 3 European Countries | Time

There are also large differences within countries:

As the debate around reopening New York City schools rages on, across the South and Midwest, some schools have already reopened, offering few protections to teachers and students and issuing punishments to those bold enough to speak out about crowded conditions in their hallways and classrooms. Meanwhile, in the country’s wealthiest enclaves, well-heeled parents seek private alternatives to traditional schools, forming expensive, exclusive learning pods so that the children of those who can pay for the privilege might learn in safety and comfort. In other words, our government continues to neglect and endanger its most vulnerable citizens.

$25,000 Pod Schools: How Well-to-Do Children Will Weather the Pandemic - The New York Times

And now students have returned to university, we are seeing a further rise in cases:

Coronavirus in Europe: UK and France record most daily cases since start of pandemic, as university outbreaks linked to parties - CNN

And again, it's being politicised - in this instance in the UK:

Covid: Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defends students' university return - BBC News

Labour Has Criticised Gavin Williamson For His "Silence" On The University Covid Crisis

But it's happening everywhere:

Coronavirus: Parties blamed for outbreak as elite Swiss university orders 2,500 students to quarantine | World News | Sky News

Virus Clusters at French Universities Give Europe a Lesson | Voice of America - English

And different countries are responding differently:

Dorm snitches and party bans: how universities around the world are tackling Covid | Coronavirus outbreak | The Guardian

As Covid cases rise again, how are countries in Europe reacting? | World news | The Guardian

Suddenly, it feels like 'prison' for many:

Thousands of freshers imprisoned in halls as Covid-hit universities face calls to close | thesun.co.uk  

Piers Morgan calls for students to be set free after coronavirus sweeps through universities | thesun.co.uk

As authorities sought to contain Covid-19 outbreaks at British universities on Sunday, some students complained they were being "imprisoned" in their dormitories and politicians debated whether young people should be allowed to go home for Christmas.

Students at universities in Glasgow, Manchester and Edinburgh - who have returned to campus in the past few weeks - are being asked to self-isolate in their residence halls, with security guards at some schools preventing young people from leaving their buildings.

While students at Glasgow University greeted the lockdown with humor, posting signs asking passersby to "send beer," those in Manchester had a darker message, taping "HMP MMU" in their windows, suggesting the dormitory had become "Her Majesty's Prison Manchester Metropolitan University."

UK university students furious over virus restrictions - News | Khaleej Times

And don't forget the money:

As a UK academic, I think there is one key thing missing from your coverage of the safety of campuses opening up again: universities cannot survive without the revenue generated by students living on campus (Universities should be two-thirds empty to avoid Covid spikes, says expert, 25 September). This is not just about tuition fees; it includes accommodation fees and revenue from student bars, shops and sports centres. Since there is no longer comprehensive government funding for higher education, this is the only way that universities can survive.

For most institutions, cancelling face-to-face teaching would be financial suicide because so many students would not live on campus. The blame for this should be directed at the party currently in government, which is responsible for designing this funding system in the first place and for refusing a comprehensive bail-out of universities that would allow them to cancel face-to-face teaching for the year and allow students to stay at home.

The dilemmas faced by students and campuses | Universities | The Guardian

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