Coronavirus: the parishes of Rome lend classroom space to public schools

The public schools of Rome, as elsewhere in the world, are climbing to ensure the safety of students and staff, while resuming lessons in the classroom.

The diocese of Rome offered to help with a big problem: finding enough space to educate students sitting at a desk or table six feet away.

Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, pontifical vicar of Rome, signed an agreement on July 29 with the mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi and Rocco Pinneri, director general of the Lazio regional school office.

Under the agreement, Catholic parishes, religious orders and institutions will identify interior spaces that could be used as classrooms by nearby public schools when the 2020-2021 deadline is set to begin on September 14.

The “Collaboration project for the resumption of school and educational activities in Rome” invites the public schools of the city to draw up a list of schools that need more classrooms for social distance learning.

The diocese of Rome will draw up a list of parishes and other Catholic institutions that have parish centers, catechism classrooms, meeting rooms and other spaces that could be used during school hours.

If the city decides to use an offered space, it will sign a formal contract with the parish or institute; the contract will stipulate that the city will be responsible for providing the necessary insurance coverage and cleaning and maintaining the space. The contract will also detail the hours the space can be used and the types of activities that can be carried out there.

With the approval of the diocese of Rome, the city and the regional school office will be responsible for making all necessary adjustments to the spaces and furnishing them.

Archbishop Pierangelo Pedretti, secretary general of the vicariate, said that the agreement shows the importance of "cooperation between civil institutions and the ecclesial community, necessary to guarantee the common good of all citizens of our city".

One item not covered by the agreement is the provision of individual desks for elementary school students, who are used to sharing a desk for two students.

Avvenire, the Italian Catholic newspaper, reported on July 23 that the national association of school desk suppliers said it will be impossible to produce by mid-September 3,7 million individual desks for which the Italian education department is bidding.