The Education Ministry has announced that schools will conduct their sessions for the same duration as pre-pandemic sessions during the new academic year.
The new academic year will kick off on August 10. Over the past year or so, students in islands affected by COVID-19 have been attending school virtually or on a 'new normal' schedule due to the pandemic. However, sessions were conducted as usual in unaffected islands.
The Education Ministry in a circular issued on Monday said some precautionary measures will still be in place in schools when the new academic year begins next week. In this regard, social distancing measures will be practiced in classrooms, and the session timings will differ from grade to grade to avoid crowds during pickup and drop-offs. Additionally, measures will be taken to ensure air circulation in classrooms.
The ministry said high-risk students will continue to use face shields along with masks in the classrooms, and all students, teachers, and employees who traveled abroad and returned to the Maldives this month will be required to take a PCR test 5 to 7 days from the date of their arrival, before being allowed to report back to school. The same measure also applies to those who travel from islands under the Health Protection Agency (HPA)'s monitoring status.
The circular further said the pre-pandemic session durations will be maintained in the new academic year. However, no extracurricular activities will be held until all children above the age of 12 are vaccinated against COVID-19.
