2021 School Year To Start On Jan 4; K2, Primary 2 to 6 Students To Stay Home On 1st Day Of New School Year

MOE announced that the school year start date 2021 for all MOE Kindergartens, primary and secondary schools will be on 4 January, Monday.

“In line with the current national posture, schools will reopen fully with most Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) and school activities allowed, and higher-risk activities suspended or limited to a smaller group cap,” said MOE. 

First Day Of School Arrangements

Image Source: Facebook / Lawrence Wong

According to MOE, only Kindergarten 1 (K1) and Primary 1 (P1) students are expected to report to their new schools. Meanwhile, older children from Kindergarten 2 and Primary 2 to 6 may remain at home and report to their respective schools on 5 January. 

In a press release on Friday (18 December), MOE added that special education schools will also reopen on 4 January while students from junior colleges, as well as Millenia Institute, have a little more time as they will be starting later on 11 January. 

MOE said setting an earlier start date for K1 and P1 students is to better welcome the children and ensure effective Safety Management Measures on the first day of school. 

The ministry also said that if needed, at most one parent or guardian may be allowed to accompany their K1 or P1 child to their new school to help them get familiarised with the new environment while also keeping all the children safe.

MOE added that in order for kindergartens to accommodate the parents of K1 children on the first day of school, Kindergarten Care will not be open for K2 children on 4 Jan. But school-based School Care Centres will be open on this day for P2 to P6 students enrolled in these centres.

For secondary schools, junior colleges and Millenia Institute, students will resume their school year as scheduled and will only be allowed to be dropped off at school by their parents or guardians. 

Safe Management Measures Will Continue To Be Observed

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For the new school year, MOE ensured that schools will continue to observe safe management measures for a safe place of teaching and learning. This includes visual screening and temperature-taking of individuals while also observing high standards for hygiene as well as safe distancing between students and staff. 

“Students who are unwell with flu-like symptoms such as fever or cough are reminded to seek medical attention and stay away from school,” added MOE.

When schools officially reopen, it was also noted that students do not need to have their TraceTogether tokens but they will be mandatory in schools after the nationwide distribution is completed. 

Resumption Of School Activities And Events

From mid- to late-February of next year, the National School Games (NSG) will also resume sports including badminton, gymnastics and sailing across A, B and Senior Divisions which meet the national guidelines. 

Sports such as football, hockey and netball are still not allowed as the MOE said they are still working on how these sports can resume in a safe and meaningful way for the children. 

Then from late-March to early-May, the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for secondary schools, junior colleges and Millenia Institute may also resume their events such as band, dance and drama which were said to meet the national guidelines. 

“These activities will be conducted with the necessary modifications and safe management measures in place to ensure the safety of participants and organisers,” said the ministry who added, “More details on the resumption of the ‘Junior’ and ‘C’ Divisions, slated for the second half of 2021, will also be provided at a later date.”

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