Schools in Romania will go online, where possible, for several days before and after the local elections on September 27, prime minister Ludovic Orban announced.

The Government has decided on this measure to disinfect the rooms used as voting stations.

PM Orban stressed that the school will not be closed, but will be carried online.

"When we decide how many days the schools will be online, we will make a public announcement," the PM added, according to Bursa.ro.

The parents, who are also voters, have already expressed discontent with the lack of clarity shown by the Government in opening the schools. Thus, the short-time notice about another maybe three days of online school is likely to stir more criticism.

Expectations for all the schools in Romania going online (the red scenario as dubbed by the Government) have been increasing along with the number of pupils testing positive for coronavirus. Under the law, one parent should be given paid holiday during the period when the school is going online, which is likely to complicate the decision as it involves budgetary expenses.

So far, the decision on how school takes place (face-to-face, online, or combined) has been taken at a local level, based on the evolution of COVID-19 cases in each community. Still, the Government body managing the coronavirus pandemic can, in principle, make country-level decisions. 

andrei@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Gov.ro)