SINGAPORE: School will be suspended for about a month from next Wednesday (Apr 8) as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Friday stricter measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Students at all levels, from primary school to universities, including students from special education schools, will shift to full home-based learning till May 4, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said in a joint press release.
AdvertisementAdvertisementSchool-based mid-year examinations will be cancelled, said MOE.
All pre-schools, kindergartens and student care centres will also be closed, but will provide limited services for children of parents who have to work and cannot find caregivers. Private education institutions should move to home-based learning or suspend classes, said authorities.
Classes are currently set to resume on May 5, but MOE and MSF will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation to assess if these measures need to be prolonged.
[h=3]READ: PM Lee addresses the nation on COVID-19 situation[/h] AdvertisementAdvertisementEducation Minister Ong Ye Kung said that while he had received many requests from parents to close schools earlier, it was now time to do so and "for the right reasons".
"Because we are implementing a national circuit breaker policy and schools are an important part of it. It will help us move towards a position where we can enhance safe distancing, cut down on social interactions significantly and reduce transmissions," he said.
TRIAL TO PREPARE SCHOOLS FOR HOME-BASED LEARNING
Schools had tried out home-based learning (HBL) in a staggered fashion this week, which has prepared students and teachers for the coming full implementation, the agencies added.
That process helped to solve many teething problems, said Mr Ong.
MOE loaned out nearly 4,000 digital devices for those who did not have them and parents who had to work could still send their children to school, where they have proper supervision and safe distancing, he said.
Schools will continue to provide instructions and support for students to access a range of both online and hardcopy HBL materials, so that learning continues uninterrupted.
Students can rely on the ongoing support of their teachers and other school personnel who will continue to work from home or from school, said authorities.
National examinations will proceed as planned and with the necessary precautionary measures in place. These include mid-year GCE O- and A-Level Mother Tongue Language examinations in June, Year-End Examinations and Primary School Leaving Examinations.
"Parents are strongly encouraged to keep their children at home during this period. Those working in essential services such as healthcare, who are unable to secure alternative care arrangements, may approach their children’s primary schools and pre-schools for assistance," said the agencies.
STRICTER MEASURES
Mr Lee announced earlier on Friday that workplaces, except for essential services and key economic sectors, will close from next Tuesday and he urged everyone to stay at home as much as possible.
People should go out only to do essential things such as to buy food or to exercise at the park, while keeping a safe distance from others, he said.
These measures are being rolled out after more local cases were detected in Singapore last week, with about half of the cases unlinked.
Globally, the number of coronavirus cases have soared above 1 million and reported deaths have exceeded 50,000.
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