High schools in four more regions
reopened on Monday, with around 640,000 pupils finally going
back to class in Lazio, Molise, Piedmont and Emilia Romagna.
The nation's high-school students were meant to return to class
for 50% of their lessons a week ago, having the other 50% via
distance leaning, having been on 100% distance learning before
the Christmas holidays.
But many regions postponed the return to class of
high-school students due to high levels of COVID-19 contagion.
So only around 300,000 high-school students in Tuscany, Abruzzo
and Valle D'Aosta actually managed to return to school last
week.
Students occupied two schools in Milan last week to protest
against the situation on Lombardy.
A group calling it the School Defence Committee put locks and
chains on the entrance to the Lombardy Regional Schools Office
overnight, leaving a banner saying "Closed due to Incompetence".
Education Minister Lucia Azzolina has said that she was worried
that many of Italy's high-school students have still not been
able to return to their classrooms.
"The youngsters need to vent their social nature. I am very
worried," Azzolina told RAI radio..
"Distance leaning can no longer work today.
"There is a sociality black out.
"The young people are angry and disorientated and I'm worried
about an explosion of scholastic desperation".
Around 200 elementary and middle school classes are in
quarantine in Veneto because of cases of contagion following the
Christmas holidays.
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