LatinNews Daily - 11 August 2020 |
BRAZIL: First state schools re-open amid criticisms |
On 10 August, state-run schools in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, re-opened, the first public schools in Brazil to do so since the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic forced their closure five months ago. Analysis: Despite the uncontrolled coronavirus outbreak in Brazil, various sectors of the economy have been gradually reopening since May, and the country’s local authorities now face the dilemma of whether, and how to, reopen schools for in-person classes. With the United Nations (UN) warning of a “generational catastrophe” due to months of lost education on the one hand, and the World Health Organization (WHO) urging against reopening schools in areas where the pandemic is not under control on the other, the decision is fraught with difficulties, as exemplified by the situation in Manaus.
Looking Ahead: The return to in-person classes in other states remains uncertain, with recent judicial rulings suspending the reopening of private schools in Brasília and Rio de Janeiro, while the state government of São Paulo has delayed the reopening of public and private schools until 7 October. |