NO SHARING of lunch boxes, no hugs or high fives, no games of tag or soccer . . . It can be hard for kids to get their heads around all the new school rules. But if in doubt, the general rule of thumb is that many things they used to enjoy are now a no-go.
While entering level 2 lockdown has given South Africans a glimmer of hope, the threat posed by Covid-19 is still very real and as more schools have started reopening their doors, they’re taking no chances.
For learners this means masks on at all times, plenty of hand sanitiser and avoiding each other like the plague.
Which leaves very little they can actually do when break time rolls around other than to sit forlornly on the playground, metres away from their friends, and quietly eat their lunch.
It’s a heartbreaking sight. But it’s a similar story around the world. A junior school in Bangkok, Thailand, is going to extremes, keeping learners isolated in plastic pens all day, while kids at a school in Belgium are expected to walk around with hula hoops at all times to ensure adequate social distancing.
Thankfully, the measures in place at most SA schools aren’t so radical, but still looking at the subdued playgrounds, it’s clear things are far from normal.
While for many parents it was a huge relief to be able to hand their kids back into the capable hands of their teachers, sending them back to school has created a whole new set of worries.
Denne historien er fra 3 September 2020-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 3 September 2020-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them
LIAM LAID TO REST
More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.
SHILOH HANGS OUT
THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.
LEO IN LOVE
He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down
PACKING A PUNCH
Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William