Education Minister Mr Chan Chun Sing released a statement on Facebook regarding the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) response to Covid-19 cases in schools.
This includes schools closing due to a detected Covid case. He shared that this situation will no longer affect the whole class level that is placed on home-based learning.
In a Facebook post on Friday (13 August), Education Minister Chan Chun Sing says the Ministry of Education (MOE) is planning to “minimise disruptions” of classes while also ensuring the safety of students.
Schools Closing Due To A Detected Covid Case Will No Longer Place Whole Levels On Home-Based Learning
Image source: Facebook / Ministry of Education, Singapore
Since early August, MOE has been moving towards a “more targeted approach which impacts a more narrowly defined group of students.” This is because even with home-based learning limited to only specific levels in the past, this has still significantly disrupted “student learning and family schedules”.
“This means that where possible, we will place close contacts and students from the same classes or CCA groups under LOA or QO, instead of putting the entire level on HBL. The disruptions are further minimised this way,” says Mr Chan in his post.
He adds, “Going forward, we want to expand our options for less-invasive testing methods, to enable our children and families to experience even less disruptions. Testing would allow us to be much more targeted in terms of who should stay away from school, and for how long. For example, with more regular and faster testing using self-administered Antigen Rapid Tests (ART), students and staff who are tested negative can return to school earlier.”
Mr Chan also says the ministry will tighten the measures “where necessary” while “balancing the considerations for risk management with the impact of the disruptions.”
“As new scientific evidence emerges and we accumulate more experience, we will further calibrate the suite of measures and apply them based on the circumstances, to keep our schools and children safe,” writes the minister.
Keeping Schools Safe For Students
Image source: Facebook / Ministry of Education, Singapore
To keep schools from closing due to Covid, Mr Chan says the cooperation of families, teachers, staff and students will be needed.
That’s because not even schools are spared from transmission risks even with strict safe management measures in place.
“From May to July, 216 students from our 600,000 student population got infected, with vast majority from household transmission. 103 of the 216 were primary school students. More than half of the cases were isolated through LOA or QO even before they tested positive, which meant that no contact tracing was required in schools as these cases did not pose any risk to their schoolmates,” he writes.
Mr Chan advises families who have household members experiencing symptoms to keep their children at home and “away from schools and tuition centres where other students gather.”
With the infectious nature of the current variant, teachers and staff should also continue to “be vigilant” in schools. This includes sending students who display mild symptoms back home.
While this does not ensure there will be zero cases and schools will no longer be closed due to Covid transmission, the minister says they will continue to do their best “and remain watchful so that students can keep learning in schools.”
Teachers Who Have Yet To Be Fully Vaccinated To Undergo Regular Testing
Image source: Facebook / Ministry of Education, Singapore
In line with the new “vaccinate or regular test” regime that will start from 1 October this year, all unvaccinated teachers and staff will be tested for Covid-19 twice a week.
This is especially true for those who have regular contact with students aged 12 years and below.
According to the ministry, this new regime will apply to all of its staff as they are public sector employees. MOE also says this applies to staff who:
- Are not fully vaccinated
- Unvaccinated
- Medically ineligible to take the Covid-19 vaccine
MOE adds in their press release posted on Friday that the regime will cover all staff who are not government employees but have regular contact with students aged 12 and below. This will include:
- Settings outside of schools such as tuition and enrichment centres
- Student care centres
- School bus drivers and attendants
“As part of the national Fast and Easy Testing (FET) regime, a smaller group of staff will also have to be regularly tested, even if they are vaccinated, due to their involvement in higher-risk activities,” states the ministry.
As written in their press release, this will also include the following:
- Contract cleaners
- School canteen operators
- PE teachers who conduct mask-off activities in school
MOE adds that starting from 3 September, cleaners at tuition and enrichment centres that also cater to students aged 12 and below will be included in this group as well.
Tuition and enrichment centres can now register for fast and easy testing here.
“The fight against COVID-19 is a contest of evolution and adaptation. It is also a test of our resilience, vigilance and cohesion. Most significantly, it is an opportunity for us to work together to exemplify for our children the values we believe in. May we emerge stronger as a nation,” Mr Chan concludes his post.
Lead image source from Facebook / Chan Chun Sing.
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