Guidelines of MEiN, MZ and GIS on organizing school celebrations (proms)

As MEiN reports:

After years of studying together and before the matura examination, the prom is an important event for the entire school community, especially for students in the final years of secondary schools.

Taking into account the positive impact of school celebrations on the quality of peer relationships and the value resulting from continuing school traditions, the need to organize it is fully justified [podkreślenie – istotne.pl].

It is worth remembering, however, to organize proms safely and in compliance with sanitary and hygienic rules adapted to the current epidemiological situation.

And adds:

A prom is a voluntary undertaking for all participants. If it is a school event, responsibility for its safety lies with the organizer, namely the school principal and teachers, form tutors, and parents. [...]

ATTENTION! The guidelines concern proms organized by the SCHOOL, including the parents' council.

General rules

  1. The organizer should keep their knowledge and awareness of the changing epidemiological situation in the given area up to date.
  2. The organizer should adapt the rules for organizing the prom to the applicable legal regulations, in particular:
    a) the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of 6 May 2021 on establishing certain restrictions, orders and prohibitions in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 861, as amended),
    b) the Regulation of the Minister of Health of 25 February 2021 on infectious diseases resulting in the obligation of hospitalization, isolation or home isolation, and the obligation of quarantine or epidemiological surveillance (Journal of Laws of 2021, item 351, as amended).
  3. The organizer determines/obtains the number of participants.
  4. The organizer may decide to organize the prom only for students (without accompanying persons).
  5. People without symptoms of an infection or infectious disease may participate in the celebration, provided that they have not been placed under a quarantine or home-isolation obligation.
  6. The organizer should inform participants, including the parents of underage students, about the rules and restrictions in force during the prom.
  7. The organizer should take into account the MEiN, MZ and GIS Guidelines for primary and secondary schools in force from 1 September 2021.
  8. It is recommended that, where possible, students from the same class sit at the same tables.
  9. Increased frequency—every hour—is recommended for cleaning and disinfecting touch surfaces (i.e. handrails, door handles, light switches, handles, and chair rails) and commonly used areas (i.e. toilets, floors, and countertops).
  10. Rooms used by participants should be aired at least once an hour, and dance halls more frequently.
  11. It is recommended to organize the celebration in a way that limits contact with people who are not participants in the given prom.

Prom outside the school

Catering businesses

  1. They comply with the current legal regulations—the restrictions, orders and prohibitions established in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic.
  2. They comply with the guidelines prepared for catering businesses and the guidelines on organizing events, including weddings and receptions, and occasional gatherings during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. It is also recommended to use, where appropriate, the guidelines for other sectors.
  3. They monitor and comply with notices and guidelines published on the government website https://www.gov.pl/web/koronawirus and the website of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate: https://gis.gov.pl/kategoria/aktualnosci.
  4. They inform guests and staff that people ill with COVID-19, infected with SARS-CoV-2, in quarantine or isolation, or displaying respiratory symptoms may not participate in the prom.
  5. They obtain information about the number of prom participants.
  6. They inform guests about the guidelines concerning all established rules in force at the prom venue.
  7. Employees of the business and staff cover their mouths and noses with a face mask.
  8. The business organizes and provides catering services in accordance with the applicable recommendations of the sanitary authorities.
  9. The business monitors compliance with procedures and guidelines by employees and prom participants.
  10. The organizer treats a prom participant—a student, accompanying person, teacher or student's parent—as unvaccinated, unless they have received information (a vaccination or recovery certificate, including from the parent of an underage student), and includes them in the organization of the prom as a person subject to the limits. It is therefore worth providing the event organizer with information about vaccination.

Other venues

  1. They comply with the current legal regulations—the restrictions, orders and prohibitions established in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic.
  2. They apply the rules set out in the general section of these guidelines.
  3. They monitor and comply with notices and guidelines published on the government website https://www.gov.pl/web/koronawirus and the website of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate: https://gis.gov.pl/kategoria/aktualnosci.
  4. External organizers and staff should cover their mouths and noses with a face mask.
  5. They comply with the guidelines prepared for catering businesses and the guidelines on organizing events, including weddings and receptions, and occasional gatherings during the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. It is also recommended to use, where appropriate, the guidelines for other sectors.

Prom in the school building

Ministry: “The school nature of the meeting is supported by the fact that during the prom, students learn to participate appropriately in a celebration and spend time having fun. The prom is also an event at which students can present their artistic abilities in a cultural program developed jointly with their form tutors. This may be part of the school's educational and preventive activities.”

  1. Prom celebrations may not take place if teaching switches to remote/hybrid learning due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among the school community, or if teaching is suspended or switches to remote learning as a result of generally applicable legal regulations.
  2. People without symptoms of an infection or infectious disease may participate in the celebration, provided that they have not been placed under a quarantine or home-isolation obligation.
  3. The general MEiN, MZ and GIS Guidelines for primary and secondary schools, in force from 1 September 2021, are applied throughout the school, including those concerning hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting rooms and surfaces, and catering, as well as procedures in the event of suspected infection among students and employees.
  4. The school has a complete list of guests and event staff, together with contact details, which it will provide to the State Sanitary Inspection authorities if necessary.
  5. All prom participants—students, accompanying persons, parents and school employees—must be informed about the guidelines for being on school premises and additional guidelines related to organizing the prom.
  6. At the entrance to the building, information about the obligation to disinfect hands and instructions for using the disinfectant should be displayed. Everyone must be given the opportunity to use hand sanitizer, and dispensers should be refilled regularly. It is recommended that participants first wash their hands with soap and water upon entering the building. Disinfectant should be provided in the dining room and near the toilets.
  7. Rooms, dining areas and common areas (corridors) should be aired at least once an hour, and dance halls more frequently.
  8. If the celebration is limited to students from the given school, it is recommended that people from the same class/form sit together at a table.
  9. Increased frequency—every hour—is recommended for cleaning and disinfecting touch surfaces (i.e. handrails, door handles, light switches, handles, and chair rails) and commonly used areas (i.e. toilets, floors, and countertops).

What do you think? We invite you to join the discussion.