FEDELE’s Spanish schools with ELE Safe School certificate

The interest of students to return to language schools needs to be supported by information about the health and safety standards of the school. The students are more likely to apply for a course at a language centre that assures them of rules and guidelines to prevent contracting the virus and to provide a safe environment.

In Spain, the Spanish Federation of Schools of Spanish, FEDELE, has created a recognition system with guidelines, recommendations and protocols to follow to achieve a safe school certificate and free from infections facing the present epidemiological situation caused by COVID-19.

This gives a stamp of certainty to students coming to one of the Spanish member schools awarded with the certificate that they have specific plans and protocols to reduce the risk of infection within the centre as much as possible.

The member centres apply for the certificate and after a check of implementation of the guidelines by FEDELE, the centres are awarded the stamp, posters and other materials recognizing the centre as a safe learning space.

It certifies that the centres have contingency plans to reduce the possibilities of contracting the virus in the school and to stop the expansion to prevent possible outbreaks. However, it does not guarantee the complete absence of the risk due to the changing epidemiological situation.

The protocol with actions and recommendations for the centres to obtain the certification is a complex document.

The most significant steps that the schools need to undertake are:

• Having a Contingency Plan to increase the security of the school’s facilities with the plan being verified by the FEDELE team.
• Ensuring a safety distance of at least 1.5 meters and a limited capacity in classrooms to follow the rules.
• Using and provision of disinfecting gels and wearing a mask are mandatory within its facilities.
• Displaying information related to hygiene and safety, as well as signs to respect social distancing in several languages.
• Providing the new students at the first meeting with information on health and safety measures with leaflets in several languages.
• Establishing guidelines and plans for each of the school’s activities, trips and exams.
• Advising of rules on using of common areas to reduce the people capacity to keep social distancing.

This stamp of assurance to students is helpful for the member centres to boost their student’ numbers in a safe environment protecting not just the students but also the staff.