This post is to keep UK institutions updated on disruptions across the EU Europe region caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. For more information, updates, webinars and other engagement opportunities, please see ‘Europe and education: Stay connected during Covid-19’.

These posts focus on ten priority countries: Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain and, starting this week, Ireland. This week: 

• Cyprus: Final-year students at public schools returned on 11 May, others due to return on 21 May, academic year extended until 26 June.

• France: Collèges (lower secondary schools) in 'green' areas to reopen from 18 May; lycées may reopen in June.

• Germany: Extent of reopening varies depending on German states; some universities cautiously reopening.

• Italy: Esame di Maturitá will be held in person as one-hour oral sessions from 17 June; other in-person examinations and graduation ceremonies can be planned with restrictions.

• Ireland: Leaving Certificate now cancelled, students to receive predicted grades from teachers and moderated by examinations commissions.

• Romania: Draft law lays out rules for final-year examination preparation sessions; Ministry of Education considering providing masks for schools that reopen.

• Spain: Schools in lower-risk areas can reopen for groups including final-year students; new university regulation law drafted.

If a country you’re interested in doesn’t appear here, or if you would like more details, please check previous weeks’ updates or contact the country representative.  

• 6 May: Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Romania 

• 29 April: Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania 

• 22 April: Germany, Greece, Spain 

• 16 April: Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Romania 

• 8 April: Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania, Spain  

IELTS tests have been affected in all countries in Europe as a result of Covid-19 precautions. For the latest update by country, please check: www.ielts.org/news/2020/changes-to-ielts-test-arrangements-in-some-locations-due-to-novel-coronavirus. We are monitoring the situation very closely and will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.  

For more Europe updates, webinars, market insights and other services in international higher education, please go to your alerts settings and select updates by region from Europe.  

If you have any feedback, please contact me or any of the country staff listed below.  

Thank you - and stay safe.  

Almut Caspary – Higher Education and Research Lead, EU Europe (Almut.Caspary@britishcouncil.org).  

CYPRUS 

Updated 12 May 

Cyprus's strategy to lift restrictions and restart the economy has been divided into four phases, from 4 May to 14 July, which may be adjusted according to epidemiological data. During the first phase, final year students will return to school; during the second phase students of all levels including primary and nursery school students will return. 

School and university closures 

Public school final year students returned to school on Monday 11 May, although students of private schools continue to take online classes. Arrangements have been made to ensure a maximum of 12 students per class. Students are currently attending preparation classes for Pancyprian examinations; the exams themselves will take place on 9 June. Following an announcement by the Minister of Education, students at all levels will return to schools on Thursday 21 May. This includes students at lyceums, high schools, technical schools, gymnasiums, primary and nursery schools. The academic year has been extended and will end on 26 June.

Examinations 

Pancyprian exams for both lyceum and technical school students will still take place, but examinations at all other levels have been cancelled. Pancyprian examinations will be taken in the usual pen-and-paper format. Students will be examined only on the curriculum that has been covered face to face in class before the lockdown. 

According to the latest update from CYQAA (Cyprus's quality assurance agency), higher institutes of tertiary education can apply for alternative methods of assessment which should be aligned with the guidelines and standards of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). Universities and tertiary education institutions have already updated their students on new examination timetables and the delivery mode of their exams.  

Private schools are following instructions from examination boards in terms of A level examinations. There is still no clarity for students at private tutoring institutes, or those who have registered to take A level examinations through private institutes. 

Contact 

For more information about Cyprus, please contact Pantelitsa Michael (Pantelitsa.Michael@cy.britishcouncil.org)  

FRANCE 

Updated 12 May 

Lockdown began to be lifted in France on 11 May, although bars, restaurants and secondary schools remain closed and people are encouraged to work from home wherever possible. Bars and restaurants, parks and gardens will reopen in June as long as the area they belong stays 'green' (the colour rating for low-risk, low-incidence areas) for the next three weeks. Wearing a mask is compulsory on public transport for people over 11 and in certain other enclosed places. 

School and university closures 

Primary schools reopened on Monday 11 May with class sizes capped at 15 pupils and attendance by students (their parents) and teachers on a voluntary basis. Children of key workers such as carers and police officers have priority. 

Collèges (lower secondary schools) will be able to reopen as from 18 May if they are situated in a 'green' area. Lycées (upper secondary schools) may be able to open in June if the area they belong stays 'green' for the next three weeks. 

The school year is still due to end on 4 July. 

Examinations 

All physical end-of-term exams have been replaced with other solutions, such as oral tests by videoconference and written tests taken at home. Tests and competitive exams are planned for the summer and masks will be compulsory for all candidates. 

International students 

A law is being passed so that international students and researchers in France can get a 180-day extension to their visa if their visa is due to expire between 16 May and 15 June. 

Communication with students 

Some universities and Grandes Ecoles (France's most prestigious higher education institutions) are starting to communicate to prospective students and organise virtual open days. The wealthiest universities are working with communication agencies to provide virtual campus visits. Others are shooting their own videos to show students how they have adapted in the crisis. They mostly communicate on what their students and staff are doing, rather than on events. Some higher education Institutions (Grandes Ecoles mostly) have organised webinars in English at different times of the day to match the different time zones of prospective international students in order to replace physical presentations they would have made at partner schools in the different countries.

Most universities however are focusing more on communicating with their existing students and staff to maintain connections and morale.

British Council activity in country 

The British Council's office in Paris will progressively reopen this week, but no physical courses or exam will take place in our premises in May. All English courses have gone online. We are taking necessary steps to organise in-person IELTS tests again in June. In the meantime, candidates are being offered the IELTS Indicator online test as a temporary guage of their English ability. 

Other insights 

Regarding researchers, the labour law is being modified to allow all civil servants to work from home for more than three days a week (most French confirmed researchers are civil servants). The CNRS, the most important research council in France, recommends all its staff to work from home until at least 2 June.  

Contact 

For more information about France, please contact Catherine Saracco (Catherine.Saracco@britishcouncil.fr) 

GERMANY 

Updated 12 May 

Important note: Education in Germany is largely devolved to the 16 federal states. This means that although there are agreed Germany-wide principles, there are differences in dates of exams, holidays and regulations for schools and higher education institutions. 

Germany is continuing to relax its lockdown measures in phases. From 4 May many shops and hairdressers reopened and church services were allowed on the condition that they abide by the hygiene regulations. Restaurants and hotels will gradually start to reopen from mid-May. Visiting close family is allowed again. Some state governments are pushing ahead with further measures, such as allowing groups of up to five people to meet, and this creates a mixed picture across the country.  The federal government is monitoring the situation closely and has issued guidance as to when lockdown rules would need to be reintroduced if there were an increase in cases. Germany is continuing to test extensively and is considering (voluntary and anonymous) use of tracking apps. Face masks are mandatory across Germany when using public transport or in shops.

School and university closures  

Over the last few weeks primary and secondary schools and universities have been gradually reopening. Selected year groups - either those with upcoming exams (e.g. year ten and nine or A-level equivalent students) or those due to transition from primary to secondary in the autumn have been the first to return to school under strict social distancing conditions, with reduced class sizes and continuing with a mixture of face-to-face and remote teaching. The aim is that all pupils will have been back at school physically 'at least once' by the start of the summer holidays (end of June in some areas). Schools are implementing plans to realise this ambition on an individual basis and it is unlikely that all subjects will be taught (PE or music will not be feasible in a traditional way because of hygiene and distancing regulations, for example). Kindergartens are now also slowly reopening, coming out of emergency provision back to regular provision in stages over the next weeks. 

The university summer semester started on 20 April in many places, but teaching will be delivered almost exclusively online. Universities of Applied Sciences in some regions are considering a cautious return to at least some face-to-face teaching. 

Research at universities and research institutes is taking place under strict conditions. Libraries and archives can also operate if they adhere to social distancing rules. 

Examinations  

Abitur (A-level equivalent) exams are taking place under strict social distancing conditions, with limited group sizes. Results are still scheduled to be released before the start of the summer break (between the end of June and the end of July depending on the state and staggered school holiday dates). 

University exams are permitted to take place under strict regulations but some have been postponed and there has been an increase in online examinations (e.g. through remote invigilation). 

Student financial support

BAföG (the main German state-sponsored student support scheme) is continuing payments to students even if they are unable to attend their course or training programme.  

The federal ministry of education has launched interest-free loans of up to €650 per month for students who are struggling financially as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also create a €100 million relief fund for the hardest hit students. There has, however, been criticism that the loans are not accessible for most international (including most EU) students and that they will trap students in debt.   

Other insights: Media  

Although German media continues to focus first and foremost on the situation in Germany, then the USA and other countries, there is regular coverage of the situation in the UK. Recent reports have covered the rise of the number of deaths in the UK (now the highest in Europe and second highest worldwide) and the confusion around the Prime Minister's latest announcements about easing the lockdown.  

There also continues to be coverage in the education press of the financial challenges facing the UK education sector from the potential loss of foreign students (there is similar coverage about the USA and Australia).   

Contact  

For more information about Germany, please contact Ailsa Kienberger (ailsa.kienberger@britishcouncil.de). 

ITALY 

Updated 11 May 

Schools and universities 

The government has announced that universities can start planning in-person exams and graduation sessions, provided that the space is properly organised to minimise the risk of proximity and aggregation, and that government prevention and protection measures are adhered to. If these cannot be guaranteed, sessions will continue to happen remotely.  

Activity is restarting at research facilities, labs and libraries, provided again that they respect sanitary and social distancing measures. Again, if such measures cannot be guaranteed, remote methods will remain in place.  

Examinations  

Final school exams (Esame di Maturitá) will be held in person as one-hour oral sessions from 17 June. The Minister of Education has announced that the department is working on ‘specific protocols together with the social forces’ to define in detail how tests will be run, and these protocols will be published shortly. 

Candidates will have their total scores out of 100 calculated from the sum of a maximum of 40 points from the oral interview plus a maximum of 60 points from the school curriculum in the last three years. In order to obtain their diploma, candidates must achieve a minimum score of 60/100. 

Contact 

For more information about Italy, please contact Filomena Casamassa (Filomena.Casamassa@BritishCouncil.it). 

IRELAND 

Updated 8 May 

Ireland has published a five-phase roadmap to ease restrictions put in place due to Covid-19. Lockdown measures will be relaxed gradually from 18 May in three-week phases.  

School and university closures  

All primary, post-primary and third-level institutions will remain closed until September. Early years centres will open on a phased basis in June for children of essential workers and in late July on a phased basis for other workers.  

Examinations  

Final school examinations (Leaving Certificate) were originally postponed until 29 July but have now been cancelled as social distancing could not be guaranteed by the examinations commissions. Students will now receive predicted grades, selected by teachers and moderated by an examinations commissions process. This has been supported by both teacher and student unions and has been the subject of much media and public discourse in recent weeks. Junior Certificate examinations (mid-point of post-primary cycle) were cancelled at the outbreak of Covid-19.  

Student financial support  

The payment of ‘DEIS’ support for schools (primary and post-primary) with a high level of disadvantaged students has been brought forward. Schools will receive funding earlier than the commencement of the 2020-21 school year to support disadvantaged students. This is in addition to supplementary IT funding which has been made available to schools to support students’ online learning.  

SUSI (student grant portal) has opened early for the 2020-21 academic year as education leads anticipate more applications than usual. Applicants do not need to wait until they receive school exam results or a third-level place offer before making an application.  

Remote and online academic provision  

A report from National Forum for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education has been published which details the extent of digital engagement, experiences and expectations of students and staff. Research was carried out pre-Covid, meaning this will be a very useful benchmark to assess the impact of Covid-19 circumstances on these areas.  

Provision of online learning at primary and post-primary level appears uneven and reliant on individual school leadership. Provision at third level has been more successful. The Universities Association has reported that all universities have ensured the completion of the academic year for students.    

International students  

According to the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS), many international students are facing financial hardship because of Covid-19. ICOS recently completed a survey of international students in both higher education and English language schools which shows that 21 per cent of international third-level students and eight per cent of English language students have lost their jobs but have not accessed support payments available to the unemployed.  

Communication with students  

The issue of the Leaving Certificate has been much debated and political opposition parties have been calling for the exams to be cancelled for several weeks. Second level student unions are clear that the student body was in favour of cancellation. The issue of the leaving cert was omitted from the announcement about the lifting of lockdown measures made on 1 May, and this disappointed many in the education community. There is general agreement that the prolonged nature of this decision had caused particular difficulty for students.  

British Council activity in country  

British Council staff in Ireland are working remotely. We delivered the virtual finals of our science communications competition FameLab in early May and other digital events and publications are planned for May and June.  

Other insights  

Ireland had a general election in early February so our current government is a ‘caretaker’ government. Negotiations to form a new government continue and there is discussion of creation or amendment of ministries and departments. This could include the creation of new Department of Higher Education and the disbanding of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. However, a new government is not expected to be formed until at least June.  

Further information  

• 9thlevel.ie: Regularly updated digest of articles related to HE in Ireland. Also includes articles with a Northern Ireland focus. 

Contact  

For more information about Ireland, please contact Mags Walsh (mags.walsh@ie.britishcouncil.org). 

ROMANIA 

Updated 12 May 

Romania will lift its state of emergency starting on 15 May and move to a 'state of alert'. Legal measures to be put in place after this date are currently in a draft law that has been sent to parliament, including temporary and gradual measures that the authorities can take to reduce the spread of the virus after leaving the state of emergency. These include that people will be allowed to move freely within localities without written statements, although trips to other parts of the country will be limited and group sizes restricted. 

School and university closures

The draft law proposes to continue online teaching and suspend classes for all education institutions beyond end of the state of emergency. The only exception will be students in the eighth and twelfth grades who have the option to return to class between 2 and 12 June to prepare for their national assessment and baccalaureate exams. Students, teachers and school staff who have chronic diseases or who live with people who are at risk or over the age of 65 will not be allowed to take part in classes. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said in an interview this week that the Ministry of Education is considering providing masks for all schools operating during this period.

Examinations

The draft government bill details safety measures for the national assessment and baccalaureate, which will take place from 2 to 27 June and 22 June to 14 July respectively.

Other insights

Romanian researcher Ana Caraiani, who currently teaches at Imperial College London, has become one of this year’s ten winners of the European Mathematical Society (EMS) prizes awarded “to young researchers not older than 35 years, of European nationality or working in Europe, in recognition of excellent contributions in mathematics'. 

Romania has recorded relatively few cases of Covid-19 compared with some other parts of the world, and cases currently appear relatively stable as well. Interestingly, Romania registered fewer deaths in February and March 2020 compared to the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute (INS). 

Contact 

For more information about Romania, please contact Gabriel Ivan (gabriel.ivan@britishcouncil.ro).  

SPAIN 

Updated 11 May 

Spain has extended its state of emergency is extended until 25 May so that the central government (as opposed to the regions) can control the easing of restrictions across the country depending on Covid-19 cases and casualties geographically.  As of 4 May, restrictions started to be lifted and will continue in four phases, each lasting a minimum of two weeks.  Madrid, Barcelona and other worse affected areas will remai in lockdown for a few weeks.

School and university closures

Schools in areas entering the first phase of de-escalation can open for early years, vulnerable students and students in the final years of ESO (high school) and Bachillerato (sixth form).  There are very strict guidelines on social distancing, hygiene and sanitation.    

The Ministry of Education has maintained the academic calendar, except for the EBAU university entrance exam which has been delayed to mid to late July. Students have started applications to sit the exam, which will have many more locations than usual to allow social distancing. It has also been announced that when schools reopen in September, there will continue to be a combination of face-to-face and online classes so that half of students will attend classes face-to-face and the other half attend online on a rotational basis. Options eing discussed for how to manage this include a split between morning and evening classes and weekly rotas.

Other insights

A draft law for the regulation of universities in Spain was published on 5 May.  A detailed summary of this law with a commentary from Carolina Jimenez is available here. 

Contact 

For more information, please contact Carolina Jimenez (carolina.jimenez@britishcouncil.es).  

COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVES  

• Bulgaria: Ivaylo.Slavov@britishcouncil.bg  

• Cyprus: pantelitsa.michael@cy.britishcouncil.org  

• France: Catherine.Saracco@britishcouncil.fr   

• Germany: ailsa.kienberger@britishcouncil.de   

• Greece: Maria.Tsakali@britishcouncil.gr   

• Italy: Filomena.Casamassa@BritishCouncil.it   

• Poland: Julia.Plachecka@britishcouncil.pl   

• Romania: gabriel.ivan@britishcouncil.ro  

• Spain: Carolina.Jimenez@britishcouncil.es