Kirsty Mckenzie
EXPAT parents are completely split over whether it is the right time for children to return to school, our research suggests.
The Olive Press reader survey shows that mums and dads are unsure whether September is too soon to send pupils back to the classroom.
In our online poll, we asked readers to share how they felt about schools reopening for the first time since March.
Exactly half said they were happy for their children to be back with their teachers and peers while the rest wanted a vaccine before they let their sons and daughters return.
And while not all parents want to keep their little ones at home, 56% said that they did not feel their child would be safe on their return.
A whopping 83% agreed that social distancing would be impossible to maintain in the classrooms and 78% thought all children should be made to wear masks at school.
Ominously, just 28% of parents said it was likely that pupils would be able to complete a full school year.
Spanish education officials have for weeks been debating how to get pupils safely back to school this month for in-person classes.
Schools shut down across Spain in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and classes were moved online, but educators have been warning about the gaps in access to technology and the risk that some students could be left behind.
