Covid-19: school hours in islands with no cases to be increased, from Sunday

Authorities have decided to increase school hours in islands with no Covid-19 cases, starting from next week.

Education Minister, Dr. Aishath Ali announced this during Wednesday night’s Covid-19 press briefing at the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC).

The minister noted that this is part of the work “to transition back from a new normal to normal.”

While schools have been open for four hours in islands with no coronavirus cases, this will be increased by an hour from next Sunday.

Noting the pandemic’s impact on education, Dr. Aishath stressed that special plans for schools in the greater Male’ region as well; most Covid-19 safety measures are in the capital region as most of the cases were detected from Male’ where a community transmission was confirmed in April.

She emphasized that while the methods might differ in the atolls and the capital, that students in both will have to complete the same number of periods for each subject.

The education minister further said that standard operating procedures have been established, to follow given the chance that a student is identified as a Covid-19 contact; she said that the schools will now have an “isolation room” for the students to wait, if identified as a contact, before being released home.

The minister said that the despite reopening of schools, that government’s biggest priority is the safety of students.

While schools in Male’ are currently open for grades 11 and 12 (key stage five), schools are to reopen for grades nine and 10 (key stage four) next week.