Education Ministry issues physical reopening guidelines

The Ministry of Education has released its guidelines for the physical reopening of schools.

In a statement on Thursday, it said the guidelines will apply to fully vaccinated forms four-six students and teachers, who return to physical classrooms on October 4.

It said, “The national vaccination drive signalled a hopeful start for the safe return of our students to the physical classroom.

“The government has provided vaccines for the nation’s citizens from age 12 and above. To date, over one million doses have been administered to citizens, including 39,120 to citizens between the ages of 12 and 18.”

It said the ministry had held several rounds of consultations with all key stakeholders and the recognised majority union, who have all received the guidelines, and forwarded them to the principals of all secondary schools.

“Teachers who are timetabled to deliver instruction to fully vaccinated students of forms four-six are required to report for duty at their assigned schools to deliver instruction via the face-to-face modality.

“Physical attendance notwithstanding, teachers are encouraged to utilise blended methods of curriculum delivery.”

On Thursday, the ministry also began delivering the last tranche of 20,000 laptops and MiFi devices to teachers and students in the government’s laptop distribution programme.

The statement said substitute teachers are being identified to temporarily fill teaching vacancies.

“Principals are required to submit an individual school reopening plan, based on a ministry template, to their line supervisors which identifies the measures by which students of forms four- six who are not attending school physically will have access to educational material.”