Schools re-open tomorrow with strict health restrictions and class schedules
View(s):Contact sports and inter-school competitions banned for one month, academic activities to be given priority
All contact sports activities, where students have to closely interact with each other, will be banned for one month, even though classes for all grades are due to begin this month, a senior Education Ministry official said.
The decision has been taken due to the COVID-19 situation as the threat of the virus still remains, the official said.
“We believe the risk of the virus spreading still remains, and we need to take necessary precautions, even though schools will reopen for all grades,” the official said.
He said Inter-school competitions would also remain banned until further notice. From tomorrow (August 10) onwards, classes for Grade Five, 10, 11, 12 and 13 would resume, under strict health guidelines.
The Education Ministry had prepared a schedule to resume classes according to student numbers. Accordingly, if the number of students in a primary school was more than 200, students from Grade One to Grade Five would be called in on Monday, Grade Two to Grade Five students on Tuesday, Grade Three to Grade Five students on Wednesday and Grade Four and Grade Five students on Thursday and Friday.
A similar plan had been drawn out for secondary schools with more than 200 students. On Monday students of Grade Six, 10, 11, 12 and 13 would be called in, on Tuesday students from Grade Seven to Grade 13, on Wednesday students from Grade Eight to Grade 13 and on Thursday and Friday students from Grade Nine to Grade 13.
Classes for Grade Six to Grade Nine students will be held from 7.00 am to 1.30 pm, while classes for Grade 10 to Grade 13 students it will be from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm.
Meanwhile all schools used for election duties would be disinfected and returned to the education authorities, before Monday. The school principals had been advised to monitor the disinfection programmes.
The Education Ministry had also sent a CD to schools, to advice the staff and the administration on how academic activities should be carried out during the COVID-19 situation. The principals were told to screen the video to their students as an educational programme, the education official said.
Moreover, all school canteens had been shut down until further notice.