Physical classes will resume for students through grades 7 to 8, Maldives Education Ministry said on Sunday.
The Education Ministry said regular classes will resume for grade 8 on October 19 while classes will resume for the 7th grade from October 25. The decision to resume regular classes was taken based on the recommendation of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the ministry said.
The Maldives initially closed all schools earlier in March as a precautionary measure against COVID-19. Schools in the atolls were reopened after three months in June, and physical classes resumed for Grades 9 to 12 in the Greater Male’ Region. However, classes were suspended for the three grades after a spike in positive cases registered in Male’. The Education Ministry last month decided that schools in the Greater Male’ Region will remain closed until the end of October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While virtual lessons have been ongoing since then, the measures were revised after two weeks, and regular classes resumed for grades 9 and above earlier on October 4th.
The government has revised the academic calendar such that the new academic year starts in August instead of January in order to make up for the missed lessons of the current academic year. According to the new changes, the second term for the 2020 academic year will begin on January 10, and end on June 24. The new academic year will begin on August 10
