Students from all levels to return to schools on 29 June; limits for sports, CCA activities
SINGAPORE — Schools will end their current weekly rotation schedule on 26 June, with students from all levels returning to school on 29 June as Singapore transits into Phase 2 of the post-COVID-19 circuit breaker period.
In a media release on Wednesday (17 June), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said that students and staff will continue to be required to wear masks. In situations where wearing of masks may not be practical (for example, students with health conditions), they may wear face shields instead.
There will also be daily temperature-taking and visual screening for all students and staff. Those who are unwell, have household members on Home Quarantine Order/Stay-Home Notice, or have adult household members with flu-like symptoms such as fever and cough, are required to stay away from school.
Intermingling across classes and levels will be reduced, and there will be staggered arrival, dismissal and recess timings to reduce congestion.
Students will continue to practise frequent hand-washing throughout the school day and wipe down of tables and shared equipment after use. They are to continue sitting in spaced seating arrangements in canteens, where possible. Otherwise, fixed groups of up to five from the same class will be allowed.
Games with minimal physical contact are allowed
In Phase 2, schools will allow group activities and small-sided games that involve minimal physical contact, such as badminton, table-tennis, volleyball, sepak takraw, with a limit of five per group and safe management measures.
MOE intends to gradually bring back co-curricular (CCA) activities. Schools will try to restart CCAs that can be conducted by coaches, instructors or CCA teachers through digital means. Such activities include badminton, dance and robotics.
For activities that are more suited to be conducted face-to-face, schools can implement them at the class level, to minimise inter-mingling. This means that students may not be participating in an activity that is their original CCA choice, but they will get to learn something new.
No more than 50 students per class for IHLs
Meanwhile, Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) will also progressively increase the number of students allowed back on campus for face-to-face learning.
Students will continue to return for practical and lab sessions, with no more than 50 students per class. Similarly, other classes or consultations that were previously conducted online can now gradually resume on campus with no more than 50 students per class. All large-scale classes and lectures will continue to be held online.
Selected student activities, such as project work discussions, fitness training and face-to-face counselling, may resume gradually with the necessary safe management measures. These include at least one metre distance between individuals and with no more than 50 persons in a venue.
As of now, large-scale orientation activities will not be possible, but some smaller scale activities can proceed, with safe management measures in place. These can include briefings, campus tours and non-contact ice-breaking activities.
All students, staff, vendors and visitors at the IHLs will be required to check in and out using SafeEntry, when entering or leaving the campus. Temperature and symptom screening will also be done at entrances.
MOE centres, private education institutions, enrichment activities
MOE centre-based lessons will resume for non-graduating levels from 29 June, with safe management measures in place. Private Education Institutions offering pre-tertiary and tertiary courses may also take reference from the plans and safe management measures in schools and IHLs in allowing their students to return in Phase 2.
Self-help group enrichment activities held outside of school premises may resume from Friday. Private tuition and enrichment activities – with exception of singing or vocal training activities – may also resume with safe management measures in place.
During these enrichment activities outside of school, students will need to maintain safe distancing of at least one metre from others and refrain from interacting. If some interaction is unavoidable, they must remain within groups no larger than five, with each group maintaining a distance of at least one metre (preferably two metres) from other groups, with no mixing between groups.
Teachers may move between groups, but must keep contact to a minimum, and remain at the front of class as much as possible.
Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore
More Singapore stories:
COVID-19: No buffet lines, product testers, mall activities when Phase 2 begins
Hawker centres to have different seating arrangements for different dining group sizes
No Singapore residents among 151 new COVID-19 infections; 2 community cases
Grocery shop, Prime supermarket in Jalan Besar added to places visited by COVID-19 cases
