Students from other grades will not be required to attend school for lessons for the remainder of the year in the greater Malé region, says the Ministry of Education.

In early October, the ministry revealed that schools across the greater Malé region are to resume physical classes for students from grades seven and eight.

Speaking at a press briefing by the Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC), State Minister of Education Dr. Abdulla Rasheed revealed that they will work on resuming physical classes, as the current situation paves way for it.

On Monday, the ministry resumed physical classes for grade eight students in the capital city, under the instructions and guidelines set by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Classes for students from the seventh grade will resume on October 25. Classes will be conducted under a set of special guidelines established by HPA, in light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic that is far from being controlled in the populous capital city.

The decision to not open physical classes for students from other grades was reached as students will face their examinations by the time physical classes open for seventh grade students, which does not give sufficient time to conduct physical classes for other grades.

In light of this, online classes will proceed for students under the seventh grade, said Rasheed.

Physical classes are also being held for grades 11 to 12 who are exempt from online classes.

Since August 4, schools have been conducting online classes for students. The decision will be reversed if any improvements are seen in the daily rise of Covid-19 cases, the ministry earlier revealed.

All schools and educational institutions were closed across the Maldives due to the pandemic, however, schools were reopened across islands free of Covid-19, with the exemption of the capital region on July 1, under the third phase of the lockdown ease plan.

The ministry earlier noted that they will always prioritize the health and safety of students and that they believe it is in the best interest of students to remain at home with their families, during this time of crisis. Students, parents, guardians and teachers have been urged to pay special heed to hygiene practices as well as the instructions provided by the HPA and other relevant authorities. Measures implemented include enforcing the use of face masks at all times, making arrangements for students to wash their hands as well as thermal screening and social distancing.

Further, the ministry is preparing to conduct a survey to understand how the closure of schools has affected students and the extent of their loss of learning.