The British Council supports members of the UK and EU higher education and cultural sectors working and achieving success together. While the Covid-19 pandemic is causing enormous hardship, we have always believed as the British Council that education and culture connect us. In the face of a truly global challenge, this is more important than ever. These connections will be even more vital when we get beyond this. The health and safety of our visitors, staff and the people we work with is our top priority. We support and cooperate with local government agencies to put all necessary measures in place to ensure the continued well-being of everyone we work for and with.

This post is to keep UK institutions updated on disruptions across the EU Europe region caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This update focuses on eight major higher education markets in the region. Countries are listed in alphabetical order (click below to jump to country):

• Bulgaria: Academic year in schools and universities extended; matriculation exams delayed till end May
• Cyprus: No decision yet on Pancyprian examinations; measures taken to accommodate and reassure students abroad
• France: Baccalauréat to be awarded on the basis of this year’s continuous assessment; national online learning platforms set up for schools.
• Greece: National examinations and school terms currently remain on usual schedule, although options for extension being assessed
• Italy: Requirements altered for students taking ‘Maturità’ (final exam for the secondary students aged 18-19) and ‘I grado’ (final exam for primary students aged 13-14) 
• Poland: Trial online Baccalaureate exam conducted; no decision yet to postpone exam or school year, despite calls from education stakeholder groups
• Romania: Baccalaureate and National Assessment exams still scheduled covering first semester work only; calls to address inequality in online education in Romania
• Spain: Country tests at third grade primary (year four), sixth grade primary (year seven), four ESO (year 11) cancelled; pre-university entry exam (EBAU or EvAU) postponed by more than a month and a half; Bachillerato (students aged 16-18) dates maintained for now; regions given options on new exam dates.

For travel advice, please refer to FCO updates. We encourage institutions who are considering travelling to sign up for alerts: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice. We also advise you to visit local government health websites to stay abreast of health advice and precautionary measures in any country.

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: https://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).

BULGARIA 

Updated 7 April

On 13 March, Bulgaria declared a state of national emergency in special law adopted by the National Assembly. This was initially for two weeks, then extended by another two. The current end date of the lockdown is 13 May.

Restrictions on citizens’ mobility were imposed by the Ministry of Healthcare based on the recommendations of the National Coronavirus Task Force. Distance working is encouraged wherever possible; travel between cities in Bulgaria is forbidden, except for specific reasons; and within cities is only allowed for those who have to go into work, buying groceries or medicines, or taking care of ill people.

On 20 March a ban was imposed on citizens from all non-EU countries entering Bulgaria, plus EU citizens from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the UK.

School and university closures

The Ministry of Education and Science has demanded that all education institutions (kindergartens, schools, universities and other institutions) close face-to-face activities and migrate to remote mode. They are strongly recommended to restructure their content and objectives and utilise selected online learning platforms for delivery and testing.

The Minister of Education has declared that the school and university academic year should not be cancelled, but that instead delays or extensions may come into place to ensure transition between education stages (high school and university application process, matriculation exams, university exams and graduation, for example).

Examinations

A ten-day delay has been announced for the dates of matriculation exams, the new dates being 30 May and 1 June.

The Ministry of Education and Science has attempted to reassure students and parents regarding matriculation exams and the High School Diploma. Education Minister Valchev said that matriculation exams would be based only on the content that students and teachers had managed to go through. The Ministry will ensure the fastest possible issuing of high school diplomas and respective documents.

The school year end is likely to be postponed to mid-July for the students in the fifth to 11^th grades.

Many HEIs have extended their deadlines for applications and moved forward their admission exams dates, such as Sofia University. By contrast, the Technical University in Sofia has not changed their exam dates, but instead has gone digital and has already done some online exams.

Thirty-seven out of 51 Bulgarian universities have declared they will recognise the results of matriculation exams as admission exams. The other 14 HEIs are mainly arts and medical schools which require specific exams to be taken by applicants. These are subject to delay in order to synchronise with the delay in the high school year and issuing the respective documents.

Contact

For more information and insights about the situation in Bulgaria, please contact Ivaylo Slavov, Manager Higher Education and Science, Bulgaria (Ivaylo.Slavov@britishcouncil.bg).

CYPRUS

Updated 7 April

By 2 April, the number of cases in both the southern (Greek Cypriot) and northern (Turkish Cypriot) part of the island had reached 455. The infrastructure in both the north and south has so far managed to deal with cases but we are prepared for a significant increase in the number of severe cases should the measures taken fail to contain the spread of the virus. Strict measures are therefore in place with partial curfew during the day and a full night-time curfew from 21.00 to 06.00 apart from essential workers. A Covid-19 Ministerial Committee met on 6 April under President Anastasiades, and this will reportedly propose an extension of the current lockdown measures until 30 April. Permitted movement across the north-south buffer zone (Green Line) effectively ended on 14 March.

School and university closures

As of 9 March, all schools and universities in the country are closed following an announcement by the Ministry of Education. All lessons are now delivered online for university and high school students (at least for the priority elective subjects).

Examinations

No decision has yet been taken on how and when Pancyprian examinations (for Lyceum students) will take place. Most universities have already moved examination dates from May to June with the possibility of delivering exams online if security measurements remain as they are now.

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

International students and Cypriot students abroad

In order to try to prevent a mass influx of the thousands of students who study abroad, the government announced on 15 March that any traveller arriving after 18.00 on 16 March would need a certificate demonstrating that they were clear of the virus before they could board a plane. Admission is only be allowed for citizens and legal residents.

There are currently a large number of Cypriot students abroad, the majority of them in Greece and the UK, who are unable to repatriate due to the current measures. This is a cause of great anxiety for both students and their parents. The government has launched an online platform asking all students currently abroad to register as well as those who wish to repatriate: https://www.connect2cy.gov.cy/.

British Council activity

The British Council is working closely with examination boards in the UK as well as with the Ministry of Education and relevant authorities. We publish news, decisions and updates on our website: https://www.britishcouncil.com.cy/.

Other insights

Further information can be found from these sources:

• Ministry of Education: www.moec.gov.cy
• Press and Information office: https://www.pio.gov.cy/en/ and https://www.pio.gov.cy/en/press-releases/
• Rectors Conference: https://www.cyrectors.ac.cy/index.php/en/home-page
• Cyprus QAA: https://www.dipae.ac.cy/index.php/en/

Contact

For more insights and information on the situation in Cyprus, please contact Pantelitsa Michael, Higher Education Lead, Cyprus (pantelitsa.michael@cy.britishcouncil.org).

FRANCE

Update 7 April

School and university closures and timetables

On 27 March, confinement measures in France were extended until 15 April. The Minister of Education has announced that schools could reopen on 4 May (the end of the school Easter holidays), but this option will depend on the evolution of the pandemic.

Individual schools and universities are maintaining regular contact between students and professors.

The new semester has not been pushed back. For universities, timetables stay unchanged and most are organising online videoconferences. School and university directors are required to ensure that all students have access to the course materials and that they can carry out the work required for their learning. Universities have not modified their autumn start dates either.

Examinations

All competitive entrance exams to higher education institutions (Grandes Ecoles and private schools) for students in their last year of high school have been cancelled in place of selection based on continuous assessment. All other national competitive exams that were due to take place in April or May have been postponed and the current recommendation is not to hold any exams before the end of May. Other national education recruitment competitive examinations are currently due to take place between June and July.

The baccalauréat will be awarded on the basis of this year’s continuous assessment, including the weeks remaining until the summer holidays when school resumes. Grades obtained during the confinement period will not count. Students with an average between eight and ten out of 20 will be given an opportunity for catch-up tests at the beginning of July, and those with less than eight may be given permission by a panel to take exams at the beginning of September, on the basis of their motivation and rate of attendance at school.

Written tests allowing access to selective training courses of the first cycle of higher education will be replaced by an examination of the academic files of candidates within the framework of Parcoursup.

Schools and universities have been told to diversify the modalities of student assessment. The French Ministry of Higher Education is currently consulting with establishments to find appropriate solutions.

Some universities have cancelled final exams in place of home papers and essays. Some others will be done orally instead of in writing. Validation procedures have been made more flexible, including for obligatory internships. University administration is communicating on a case-by-case basis with students to evaluate their situations with weekly email updates about new measures.

Grants and funding

The Crous scholarship and other financial support schemes continue to be paid while schools and universities are closed.

French students engaged in international mobility placements under the Erasmus+ programme will be able to keep their grant throughout their stay abroad until their return to France. As the European Commission has invoked the force majeure clause included in Erasmus+ agreements, the additional costs inherent in the return of French students to France can be covered by the programme.

Online and remote education provision

The online provision established by schools and universities in France allows students from all levels to maintain regular contact with their teachers and fellow students, maintain the knowledge already acquired, and acquire new knowledge.

Schools can use CNED’s (National Center for Distance Education) free educational platform, ‘Ma classe à la maison’ (‘my class at home’). This hosts online activities, course units, training, downloadable exercises, log books, digital books, active thumbnails, modern language resources, illustrations and other materials, and also enables students to participate in virtual classes.

Teachers are supporting students by sending them course materials and exercises via the digital work environment (ENT) or electronic messaging. Other online platforms for schools include Lumni.fr and Educ'ARTE.

National TV channels and radio stations are also contributing to the delivery of curriculum-based programmes, mainly France 4, France 5 and Arte, as well as all Radio France channels, under an initiative called ‘Learning Nation’.

Universities are offering online classes through videoconference software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams and exercises via online platforms such as Moodle or through their own Learning Management System.

However, there has been media focus on the issue of inequality in students’ levels of access to computers, the internet and parental support in the context of the new remote schooling environment. This is notably true for students from REP schools or located in a ‘zone blanche’. Differences between teachers have also been noted; some are already familiar with online teaching materials while others have had difficulties keeping up, especially during the first weeks of the confinement period.

Communications to students 

The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the Crous publish general guidelines and updates for students on a regular basis. Each university also communicates independently with students to specify new modalities and measures taken to ensure educational continuity.

International students and French students abroad

If students are nearing the end of their stay, if their host university or organisation is closed and their course is interrupted, or if the health situation of the country justifies it, the French government has recommended that they come back to France. If, however, students are at the beginning of their stay and they plan to stay for at least several months, it is recommended that they stay. This decision is the responsibility of the student. The costs for early return are to be borne by the student unless otherwise stipulated by their home university in France.

A number of French regions have started to unlock emergency funds to help repatriate French students still abroad.

Other insights

NewsTank has published an interesting article on attitudes of French students and universities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some key points:

• Universities are calling for donations for students with limited access to financial resources
• Some university students are offering free tutoring for school students whose parents are not home
• Some universitiy students are offering to help high school students complete their dossiers on Parcoursup
• Medical students are being mobilised to help in hospitals.

Read the article here (in French): https://education.newstank.fr/fr/tour/news/179391/solidarite-face-covid-19-poursuit-nouvelles-initiatives-acteurs-esri.html

Contact

For more insights and information about the situation in France, please contact Catherine Saracco, Head of Education for the British Council in France (catherine.saracco@britishcouncil.fr).

GREECE

Updated 8 April

Greece has entered its third week of lockdown, which will continue until 27 April according to announcements at present. Greece is among the countries with the smallest number of cases in Europe. April is likely to be the most critical month for Greece, according to the Ministry of Civil Protection and infectious disease experts. There is moderate optimism among government officials and epidemiologists that if Greece continues to have a controlled number of cases and everything stays on course during April, there will be significant announcements after Easter. More information on Covid-19 measurements and reports can be found at the National Public Health Organisation (NPHO): https://eody.gov.gr/en/category/news/.

School and university closures

All education institutions have been closed since mid-March and closure has been extended until 27 April, when all declarations will be reviewed. The Ministry of Education is examining scenarios of extending the school year and reducing the core curriculum. However, efforts are being made for school and university semesters not to be compromised.

Examinations

Minister for Education Niki Kerameus has repeatedly stated that she will do her best to ensure that the Panhellenic exams, which are essential for university entry, will be held as close to their original dates as possible. June and July have been reported as the most likely times for the delivery of the exams, provided circumstances allow.  Similar assurances have been provided for university exams.

IB and A level examinations for this summer have been cancelled. English language exams scheduled for the months of March to end of May have been cancelled too.   

Please see the links at the top of this page for information about IELTS.

Online and remote education provision

Remote teaching and learning have been implemented quickly across the country and are reported to be working particularly well for high school graduates and university students.  The Minister for Education reported that 90 per cent of university classes are now being conducted online.  

British Council Greece offices and activities

Our offices in Athens and Thessaloniki are closed to the public and all face-to-face activities are suspended until further notice, in line with Greek government's regulations. We are offering remote and digital delivery of our services wherever feasible. An update on our Greece office's Covid-19 response is available at: https://www.britishcouncil.gr/en/covid-19-updates.

Other insights

The Covid-19 situation in the UK is covered extensively in the Greek media.

The late response of the UK in implementing preventive measures has been the subject of discussion among Greek epidemiologists with regards the effectiveness of the model and its fatality implications. This has caused concern and anxiety among Greek people studying and living in the UK and their families in Greece. Discussions and criticism of the UK's approach have toned down since the UK introduced confinement measures.

The British Council is running education information webinars for Greek students. 

Questions at our first webinars for undergraduate and postgraduate students to the UK (both current and prospective) were about fees and loans (particularly whether Greek students will be able to secure current fees and loans and start studies in 2021) IELTS and university rankings.  

You can find recordings of past webinars and timetable of forthcoming ones at https://www.britishcouncil.gr/en/study-uk/events. The webinars are in Greek.  

Useful links

Some useful articles include:

• https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/03/13/greece-launches-distance-learning-platforms-for-coronavirus-times/
• http://www.ekathimerini.com/251384/article/ekathimerini/news/education-ministry-provides-zero-rating-access-to-platforms-for-distance-learning
• https://www.iefimerida.gr/politiki/kerameos-gia-ayto-den-akyronoyme-panelladikes  (in Greek only)

Esos is also a useful website for Greek education news, although it is in Greek only: https://www.esos.gr/

Contact in Greece

For more information and insights from Greece, please contact Maria Tsakali, Head Education (maria.tsakali@britishcouncil.gr) or Katerina Fegarou, Education Marketing Manager (Katerina.fegarou@britishcouncil.gr).

ITALY

Updated 3 April

School and university closures

Schools and universities are closed until the 13 April, following the government decree on 1 April. The current lockdown phase is due for review on 13 April, and there is speculation that a second phase of lockdown could be extended until 16 May. This scenario was presented by the head of the Civil Protection Angelo Borrelli, but as of 3 April had not been confirmed by the government.

All school travels, class trips and twinning exercises are now suspended until the end of the academic year.

Examinations

The Minister of Education published a decree stating that all candidates for the ‘Maturità’ (final exam for the secondary students aged 18-19) and ‘I grado’ (final exam for primary students aged 13-14) will be admitted to the exams even if they do not meet some of the usual minimum requirements. These include, for example, proof of attendance for at least three quarters of the annual hours, a minimum score of six out of ten for each discipline or group of disciplines, and completion of INVALSI tests. As of 3 April, exams were still scheduled to take place in Italy under these new conditions.

Online and remote education provision

Italian schools and universities are offering online classes. Schools for students aged five to 19 already had an ‘electronic register’ putting teachers in direct communication with families for homework and results. This system is now useful for all communications between schools and families and students.

Other communications in education

The Italian Ministry of Education has set a dedicated webpage for schools, universities and students: https://www.istruzione.it/coronavirus/index.html

British Council activity

Our offices in Rome, Milan and Naples are closed until 13 April, but we are delivering our lessons online and launching our online class platform, MyClass. Cambridge exams are currently suspended until 16 April. Please see the links at the top of this page for latest information about IELTS.

Other insights

Italian Prime Minister Conte has published an open letter to Ursula von der Leyen calling for more unity and courage from the EU in tackling the pandemic: https://www.fanpage.it/politica/lettera-di-conte-a-von-der-leyen-piu-solidarieta-dalleuropa-la-crisi-mette-a-rischio-lunione/ (in Italian).

The Consiglio dei Ministri has introduced measures to give businesses easier access to bank financing of up to €200 million.

Contact

For more information and insights from Italy, please contact Filomena Casamassa, Partnerships and Projects Manager, Italy (Filomena.Casamassa@BritishCouncil.it). 

POLAND

Updated: 7 April

School and university closures

Kindergartens, schools and universities have been closed since 16 March and online education at all levels has been introduced in Poland. The government has declared that schools and universities will remain closed until the end of Easter break on 13 April.

Examinations

The Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Science and Higher Education are working on possible changes to the Polish exams calendar. Between 2 and 8 April, a trial online Baccalaureate exam was conducted across Poland following a calendar set by the Central Examination Commission at the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.

The dates of the Matura (Baccalaureate or Matriculation) examination have not changed from 4-22 May, nor have any changes to universities admissions been introduced so far.

High school students, teachers’ associations, trade unions, education NGOs, parents and the Ombudsman for Children have appealed to the Ministry of National Education to postpone exams. They are also working on strategies and propositions to prolong the school year.

On 6 April, the Chief of Chancellery of the Prime Minister Michał Dworczyk declared that final decisions on the dates of school leaving exams will be made by Easter. More information can be found here: https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/1467354,egzamin-osmoklasisty-matury-dworczyk-informacja.html.

International students in Poland and Polish students abroad

Information on Coronavirus for foreign students in Poland is available on the Go Poland website (https://go-poland.pl/), where a new webinar series called ‘Ready, Study GO! Poland for students in Poland!’ was launched on 27 March.

Further insights

There is more information about Coronavirus in Poland in English on the following sites:

• https://www.gov.pl/web/coronavirus
• https://wyborcza.pl/0,173236.html?disableRedirects=true
• Statistical information on the Coronavirus spread is updated daily by the Ministry of Health: https://www.gov.pl/web/koronawirus/wykaz-zarazen-koronawirusem-s ars-cov-2
• Ministry of Education website: https://www.gov.pl/web/edukacja
• Ministry of Science and Higher Education: https://www.gov.pl/web/nauka/
• The Central Examination Board website in English: https://cke.gov.pl/en/

The following sites have more useful information in Polish:

• TVN24 news: https://tvn24.pl/
• Gazeta.pl news 'Coronavirus' section: https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/0,173952.html#TRNavSST

Contact

For more insights and information about the situation in Poland, please contact Julia Plachecka, Projects and Partnerships Manager for Education, Poland (julia.plachecka@britishcouncil.pl).

ROMANIA

Updated 7 April

This week Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stated that the Romanian Cabinet has been asked to come up with proposals for a decree to be issued next week extending the state of emergency by another month. Currently the state of emergency is due to expire on 16 April; the extension would likely last until 15 May.

School and university closures

All kindergartens, schools and higher education institutions in Romania have been closed since 11 March. If the state of emergency is extended until 15 May, schools and other education establishments will remain closed until at least this date.

Minister of Education and Research Monica Anisie held a press conference on 7 April in which she made several important announcements, including that the school year will not be ‘frozen’. She stated: ‘After 21 April, when the spring break ends, students will continue to learn from home until at least 16 May, when the state of emergency in Romania expires.’

Examinations

Romania has not yet cancelled or officially postponed central exams such as the Baccalaureate and National Assessment at the end of the eighth grade. This means that the Baccalaureate is still scheduled to run on:

• Session 1: 9 June – 7 July
• Session 2: 18 August – 3 September.

The Education Minister announced that the programme for national exams will not cover subjects for the second semester.

‘National simulations’ (i.e. mock examinations) for the Baccalaureate and National Assessment at the end of eighth grade were cancelled in the aftermath of school closures on 11 March. Instead, the National Centre for Evaluation and Examination is posting training tests on its website designed to help eighth and the 12th grade students prepare for the National Assessment and the Baccalaureate.

Comment from Gabriel Ivan, HE manager Romania: The most probable scenario is that both the written test for the National Assessment and the Baccalaureate exam will be taken by students in their usual physical format during second half of July, provided that state of emergency measures have been lifted.

Online and remote education provision

Education has moved online and teachers and students have been trying to adapt content to the new circumstances.

The National Council of Students launched a consultation to review the effectiveness of virtual teaching and assessment in Romania, and has drafted a report based on answers from 11,958 students. The report doesn’t reveal the balance of respondents from private or international schools versus those from state schools. However, insights shared with the British Council by the British Romanian Chamber of Commerce show that participation of students from these schools in online learning is not only higher but of much better quality than in the state sector. Over one-third of the respondents stated that their school community did not conduct online courses. This calls into question the fairness and quality of these new mechanisms for teaching and learning at a national level. Looking at the at the efficiency of the teaching methods used in the virtual space, the study concluded that online teaching lacked student-teacher interaction and was often a simple cascade of information.

The report recommended that the Ministry of Education and Research develop a clear methodology regarding the methods of teaching to be used; establish a timetable adapted for school communities in crisis situations; and provide for a coherent evaluation system.

Monica Anisie declared in her 7 April press conference that the Ministry of Education is aware that not all students have access to online learning. She said that this study backed up research done by the Ministry of Education and Research showing that just 60 per cent of students continue to learn at home online. ‘It is true, it is a challenge, and following consultation with the representatives of the parents, and those of the students, and with the representatives of the trade unions, we have agreed that it is necessary for the Ministry of Education to carry out a normative act for online learning,’ she said.

Aside from this survey, local press has covered numerous positive grassroots responses, such as:

• The County School Inspectorate Constanţa, for example, has partnered with Ovidius University of Constanţa to organise online preparation lessons for this year's Baccalaureate. Relevant departments in the partner university have put together online programmes for every discipline in which exams are taken.
• Students from University Politehnica of Bucharest have launched an online platform that offers free grid exercises and admissions simulations for high school graduates.
• The website https://vreaula.ro/ is currently offering exercises for those who want to enter the Politehnica, and it is due to make online learning tools for Medicine and Law available. According to the press release, more than 500 high school students have signed up for the beta version of the platform in the last three weeks.

Contact

For more information an insights into the situation in Romania, please contact Gabriel Ivan, Higher Education Lead for Romania (gabriel.ivan@britishcouncil.ro).

SPAIN

Updated 7 April

Spain currently has the largest number of recorded cases worldwide after the USA, and the number is still growing, although the pace of growth has decreased slightly.

Spain is a near-federal state with 17 regions that make many decisions autonomously. For the first time since democracy, the Spanish state has taken all responsibility and decisions centrally for the whole country. This has surprisingly been well accepted by regions.

The Spanish population has been in lockdown since 14 March, with only critical services still running. The expected end date of the lockdown has been extended from 11 April until 26 April. It is expected that this will be extended again, although there may be some relaxation of measures after the Easter holidays.

School and university closures

All face-to-face education stopped on 10 March, a week before full lockdown was declared. Students are not expected to return to school this academic year, although this has not been stated officially. Primary and secondary schools (ages 0-16) are maintaining their calendar year. In theory, all schools have moved to online teaching, although success rates are different depending on the type of school. Up to now, schools are mostly working (especially for the youngest) on reinforcing content that has already been covered. After Easter, it is expected that schools will continue with this approach unless a decision is made to reduce the curriculum this year.

University admission dates for next year have been postponed in line with the latest EBAU delays (see below), but no firm dates have yet been published. Universities have the freedom to decide their own calendars and other relevant decisions. The majority have already announced that they will continue teaching online until the end of the academic year.

As is often the case, little has been announced regarding VET schools (ages 16-20 – Grado Medio and Grado Superior). These schools are maintaining their calendar year, with relaxation of necessary conditions to qualify (such as hours on the job). Assessment will be continuous and through online exams.

Examinations

National and regional governments have guaranteed that a new assessment model will allow students to be assessed and that year 13s will be able to move on and start university, although it is still not clear how this assessment will take place. Schools normally assess students based on continuous evaluation plus an exam.

Country tests at third grade primary (year four), sixth grade primary (year seven) and four ESO (year 11) have been cancelled.

The calendar year for the Bachillerato (students aged 16-18) has been maintained but the pre-university entry exam (EBAU or EvAU) has been postponed by more than a month and a half.

Regions can choose whether and when to hold exams between 22 June and 10 July, and again in September for second turn exams. In Madrid, for example, exams are set to take place on 5,6 and 7 July (https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/prensa/actualidad/2020/03/20200325-sectorial.html)

We are still awaiting any information about refunds for private universities or student residences.

Digital and remote education provision

All schools have access to Educarm (an education platform), which was already available before Covid-19. This has been updated with lots of information for teachers and families (including training), and this and other digital means are being used by schools. CCAA offers extra facilities (for example, Madrid offers Teams for free to all schools and students).

CRUE (Conference of Principals of Spanish Universities) and the Ministry of Education have launched an online support platform for universities called Conectad@s, which hosts resources including curriculum support, teacher training materials and assessment materials.

All universities have moved to online tuition and assessment. Many have their own platforms or use Zoom, Teams and other kinds of online webinar.

There is a big difference in the extent to which private and public institutions are delivering online provision; in general, private schools have more capacity to respond. In schools, younger students seem to have more difficulties adapting than older students.

Many Spanish universities had already offered the option or had the capacity to deliver face-to-face online tuition, and this has allowed most to switch quickly to online provision. However, there are many issues to resolve such as training for professors who are not used to online, how researchers can cope without access to labs or other facilities, and how internships are affected. Universities have taken a wide range of approaches to tackling these.

International students in Spain and Spanish students abroad

General information is centralised through SEPIE, which has a helpdesk, telephone contacts and documents with key information for students. Some useful resources include:

• General infographic: www.sepie.es/doc/newsletter/2020/especial/infografia.pdf
• Guidelines for Spanish students studying abroad, with details on how each country is reacting to Covid-19: www.sepie.es/doc/newsletter/2020/especial/coronavirus.pdf

International students studying in Spain are also getting direct advice from their universities, for example via email. Guidance is mostly to follow Spanish government or EU guidelines on whether to stay or return. Some universities have asked students on Erasmus+ placements to return to their countries of origin (whether they are Spanish students abroad or vice versa), while other universities have decided not to push students to return if they are in countries with a low incidence of Covid-19.

British Council activity

All our face-to-face services and teaching operations including the British Council School in Madrid have stopped. Exams are cancelled until May. For IELTS updates, please follow the link at the top of this page.

We have cancelled face-to-face events, festivals and information and training sessions in Spain, but as with all our countries in the region, we are focusing on engaging with our key audiences online.

In Spain, we have developed and delivered online presentations for students and training for teachers on bilingual programmes around the country. We are maintaining support to agencies, schools and local providers of UK education. We have adapted our website to include latest information for students and families.

Our office in Spain has the region’s largest arts presence, and we are running a digital focused arts newsletter: https://conta.cc/2wKSTpL.

Other insights

The Spanish government has issued several royal decrees to deal with Covid-19 and the economic impact associated with the pandemic. These include support for companies and staff, allowing a suspension of contracts and enabling individuals to receive unemployment benefit during state of emergency at no cost to employers. However, unemployment figures have seen their biggest growth in 40 years in March.

Amid lockdown measures similar to those in much of Europe (restrictions on leaving the house unless performing necessary errands, etc.), public transport continues to operate, but there has been a reduction of over 90 per cent in the use of public transport, and over 86 per cent in the use of cars. There are border and flight closures with many countries and flights within Spain are minimal.

In general, the population is responding well to the lockdown with the number of people penalised for breaking rules reducing and awareness of the situation growing. Although people are worried about the disease and its economic impact, there are important feelings of togetherness and support. Despite this, there are frustrations that divisions in government continue.

The website Growth from Knowledge provides weekly measures of the sentiment of populations in different countries. For example (in Spanish) https://www.gfk.com/fileadmin/user_upload/dyna_content/ES/documents/GfK_COVID19_PILDORA_4.pdf.

Contact

For more insights and information about the situation in Spain, please contact Carolina Jiminez, Head Higher Education and Society, Spain (Carolina.Jimenez@britishcouncil.es).