At NewTechKids, we are taking the COVID pandemic very seriously and have therefore decided to adjust our teaching conditions. As we have received some questions from a few parents, we would like to clarify the reasoning behind our choices.
We teach in large, well-ventilated rooms. We have used an AI program to generate a socially-distanced floor plan for tables and chairs. Often, we take kids’ temperatures when they enter our classes and ask kids to sanitize their hands in timed intervals. We group kids in pairs to minimize contact.
Before Christmas, NewTechKids took the difficult decision to require kids to wear masks for the duration of our classes. For shorter classes we schedule breaks so kids can take off their masks in open spaces. For our longer classes, we schedule breaks and take kids outside to play in fresh air.
We are aware that the Dutch government has not required kids under 13 to wear masks in class to help slow COVID transmission. However, NewTechKids is not part of the Dutch public school system. We are an independent company with the ability to enact our own policies based on our teaching conditions.
We also are a small company that employs a very limited number of teachers, two of whom have lung issues. If everyone wears a mask in class, this helps to shield our students and their families from the virus. In addition, it protects our teachers’ health so that we can continue teaching our in-person classes.
Young kids learn best in in-person, social settings where they can learn from each other and develop 21st century skills such as teamwork, collaboration and communication. Therefore, our goal is to create the best conditions considering the circumstances and to ensure our young students continue to benefit from our teachers and our classes.