Smiles not hugs as classes restart

On-site learning resumes for the first time in almost two years. The beginning of
a new school term has seen the happy reunion of students and teachers
although a cautious one with health and safety measures put in place due to
Covid-19.

"I'm very happy to meet my friends again. It's been more than a year
of separation," said Natthawara Boontae, a sixth grader at Wat Ratchanatda
School run by City Hall. "Still, hugging each other is a no-no," she said.

The pandemic confined students to their homes for online classes and limited
their interactions with school friends to FaceTime and phone calls. But online
classes hurt the quality of education, Natthawara said. Internet connections were
weak in places and some students had problems accessing Wi-Fi or were not
adequately equipped to study remotely.

"We had to be highly disciplined to study online," she said. Sureenipa Chanthai,
another Wat Ratchanatda School sixth grader, said on Tuesday she and her
school friends had a lot of catching up to do.

"If it wasn't for Covid, we would have jumped at each other and hugged,"
Sureenipa said. Like other schools nationwide, Wat Ratchanatda
prepared extensively for the new academic term. It has installed sensor-
operated body temperature scanners at the entrance, allocated an ATK test area
and there is sanitiser gel available throughout the school.

Thanakorn Chaisit, a teacher there, said dividers have been placed at every table
in the canteen and students have lunch at staggered hours.In the classroom,
tables are spaced apart for social distancing. Wearing a mask is compulsory at
all times in class although students can remove them when they are outdoors.
Students with a fever will be quarantined in special rooms and sent for further
care as arranged by public health authorities.
 Vocabulary
 cautious: careful to avoid danger
 compulsory: if something is compulsory, you must do it because of a rule or
law
 confine (verb): to keep somewhere and not allow to leave; detain
 discipline: the ability to control your actions
 extensively: in considerable detail; thoroughly
 fever: an abnormally high body temperature
 remotely: from a distance
 resume: to begin again after stopping for a period of time
 reunion: a situation in which people meet each other again after a period of
time when they have been separated
 sensor: a device that can react to light, heat, pressure, etc. in order to make a
machine, etc. do something or show something
 separation: the condition of being kept apart or divided from other people,
countries, etc.
 stagger (verb): to arrange for events that would normally happen at the same
time to start or happen at different times

Discussion
1. In your opinion, what kind of studying do you think is better — online
studying or onsite studying?

2. How does the beginning of the semester affect your daily life?

3. Do you think studying onsite will increase the spread of COVID-19 or not?