Three Ways COVID19 Changed The Back To School Experience in China
With COVID19, the back to school season in China this year looked very different. Here's how Sodexo is keeping students, teachers and communities safe.
Just a short while ago, returning to school meant something quite different. For teachers, it was the preparation for the next semester’s lessons and activities. For students, it was to finish holiday assignments, get the necessary materials and books ready for the next semester and perhaps play that one last video game. For us at Sodexo, back to school used to be our final preparation for the campus, finishing up the back to school menus and engagement activities and looking forward to the warm excitement of laughter in the school.
This year, in China, back to school took on a whole different meaning due to the COVID19 pandemic. Here are three ways COVID19 has changed our outlook of getting back to school.
1. Measures to ensure the health of returning teachers
As various cities in China reopened, teachers who had left for the Spring Festival and spent the closure period in their respective hometowns started to return to the Shanghai-Singapore International School (SSIS) to prepare for the semester ahead. Returning teachers however, had to spend 14 days quarantine in the staff accommodation facilities.
The Sodexo team, in addition to providing housekeeping and janitorial services at the teachers’ quarantine accommodations, also had to disinfect several times a day all high usage and common areas. The team also conducted daily health and temperature checks. The on-site food services team also prepared varied, healthy and delicious meals for the teachers, dropping bento boxes outside their rooms and informing them via text message, to ensure that social distancing was observed. Thanks to the efforts, dedication and professionalism of the team, the teachers were able to spend the time in quarantine comfortably and safely.
Conducting temperature checks for teachers in quarantine
“Our main duty at SSIS is to ensure the health and safety of everyone who lives, studies and works at the school. It was great to see Sodexo employees as well as the staff and students of the school come together to shoulder this responsibility.”
-Sun Bin, the unit manager for Shanghai-Singapore International School.
2. Enhanced safety measures during student meals
Students might have returned to their classes at the Suzhou Overseas Chinese Academy Chiway (Suzhou OCAC), but student meals are now very different.
Before the start of the semester, Sodexo conducted a thorough deep cleaning and disinfection of the dining areas, strengthened our food safety protocols and re-emphasised and trained team members on enhanced measures, such as the usage of personal protective equipment, increased hand hygiene and social distancing. Thanks to these efforts, we successfully passed all 32 areas of inspection which were conducted by the local authorities, certifying our readiness to resume operations.
When the students returned to school, mealtimes were staggered to ensure lower numbers in the dining hall. As students wait in line, they stand a safe distance apart, wearing masks, and sanitize their hands before they enter the school cafeteria. The masks remain on until they are ready to eat and come back on the moment they finish.
While enjoying their nutritional, balanced meals, each class sits in a designated area and each student sits a safe distance away from the other. The dining tables are individually partitioned, to restrict the transfer of the virus. After each class is finished, the surfaces and areas are cleaned and disinfected before the next group of students enter.
These measures, whilst necessary, might have had an impact on the usual lunchtime jokes and stories shared among friends. But, the students are aware that we live in extraordinary times and that these measures are necessary to keep them safe and healthy.
Students dining with partitions to prevent the spread of COVID-19
3. Heightened security at entrances and exits
Within schools, security is extremely important and prevents, amongst other factors, the unauthorized access to the campus by strangers. However, during COVID19, Sodexo’s security team at Dehong International school worked above and beyond to ensure they created a safe and healthy space for students and staff.
With the strategic reorganization of entry and exit points, Sodexo teams were able to control the flow of people into the school, ensuring that all visitors undergo the necessary temperature checks, health declarations and provide their particulars for contact tracing. As a precaution, campus access to visitors was further restricted as well. In places where queues were likely to form, safe distancing markers and reminders were also set up.
On top of these measures, Sodexo has also put in place business continuity and emergency response plans, to ensure that potential contingencies will be well taken care of.
“It has been hugely satisfying to see that everyone shares a common goal, which is to put students first. That requires a great team effort”.
- Ross Allan, Director of Operations at Dehong International School
As the COVID19 situation continues to evolve around the world, we know that campus life for students and teachers will change. As scientists discover new information on the virus, we know that measures will need to be reviewed and improved upon. However, one thing is constant – the safety and security of students, teachers, communities and our employees remain Sodexo’s top priority.
“Over the past couple of months, we have encountered increased challenges within our business. During this period every Sodexo employee has been taking great efforts to put in place structured measures, ensuring that the safety of the students, faculty and wider school community are upheld. Sodexo is continuously working on improvement plans and measures to ensure business continuity, and to keep the safety of our consumers at the forefront of our efforts.
- Adrian Copeland, Segment Director, Education, Sodexo Greater China
Have a question about how Sodexo can help students and teachers stay safe, healthy and secure?