Schools at the senior high and vocational level and below opened for the new semester on Sept. 1. Parents and guests were prohibited from entering campuses as a disease prevention measure. Schools, therefore, made preparations in advance to prevent first graders from experiencing separation anxiety.
Scooters are parked outside the school entrance, while vehicles are parked around the campus. The new academic year started on Sept. 1. At Taipei's Ming-hu Elementary School, parents began dropping off their children early in the morning. Parents were not allowed to enter campuses as a disease prevention measure. Some of them felt quite nervous, while some children were in tears.
First Grader's Parent:" Sorry, he's afraid of strangers.”
First Grader's Parent:" We're all feeling nervous, since this is the first time he's going to school. We're also feeling pretty afraid.”
First Grader:" I'm feeling a little bit nervous, but also a bit happy.”
Students had their temperatures checked and were given stickers before they were led into a special area for new students. The majority of the students looked quite calm.
The school said it opened up its campus twice last week to allow parents to bring their children and familiarize them with the campus. Class groups were also formed in advance to allow parents to understand school life and avert separation anxiety.
Chang Meng-lin, First Grade Teacher, Ming-hu Elementary School:”The children were quite calm after entering. I was worried that some of them would be crying as they entered the classroom, but they were all great and no one cried. They did much better than I expected.”
Ming-hu Elementary School said fewer than 30 of its 1,700 students requested to take disease prevention leave on the first day of school. These students will learn on their own using pre-recorded teaching materials. Taipei’s Department of Education is overseeing all disease prevention measures.
Kuo Tien-tsai, Principal, Ming-hu Elementary School:" After the students finish eating, their teachers will spray the dividers and the students will wipe them with paper towels.”
First Grader's Parent:" Children can't get vaccinated yet, so we really hope they’re being very diligent with all the disease prevention measures.”
Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je inspected disease prevention measures at Yan-ping Elementary School, and shared disease prevention SOPs over the public announcement system. He said there are latent infection sources at the community level, and schools, with their high flows of people, need to take the necessary precautions.
機車暫停校門口，汽車臨停校園附近，實體開學了，台北市明湖國小一大早，再現家長送孩子上學景況！但為了防疫，家長不能入校，有小一新生家長感到緊張，有小一的孩子在門口一路哭。
小一新生的家人：「沒有，他怕生，不好意思。」
小一新生家長：「因為我們都很緊，因為第一次(孩子)要進去，對啊，所以我們也都很害怕。」
小一新生：「有點緊張又有點開心。」
貼上貼紙，量好體溫，引導到新生專區，多數小一的孩子看起來很穩定！學校說，上週已開放校園兩次，讓家長帶孩子熟悉環境，此外，班級群組也提早成立，讓親子了解學校生活，減少孩子可能的分離焦慮情緒。
北市明湖國小一年級導師 張夢麟：「小朋友真的是進來都很穩定，我本來很擔心有人會哭著進教室，但是他們很棒都沒有哭，然後我覺得表現的非常好，出乎我的意料這樣。」
明湖國小統計，開學第一天，全校1千7百多位學生，不到30位學生請防疫假，將以錄好的教學影片，在平台自主學習，至於防疫，全照教育局指引。
北市明湖國小校長 郭添財：「吃完以後就他們老師，就會幫忙先去做噴(隔板消毒)，他們(學生)拿衛生紙擦。」
小一新生家長：「因為可能小朋友還沒有打疫苗，所以我們還是會很希望，他們在防疫這塊還是要注意小心。」
台北市長柯文哲到延平國小視察，也化身播音員交代防疫SOP，更強調，社區還是有潛伏感染源，一定要在最大人流的校園，做好防疫準備。