COVID-19: Schools to conduct CCAs online, suspend external activities

SINGAPORE: Schools and institutes of higher learning will implement tighter COVID-19 measures from Monday (May 17), which includes conducting all co-curricular activities (CCAs) online. 

External activities will be suspended. All large-scale events will continue to be cancelled or postponed, or held virtually if possible, said the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Centre-based classes, such as those held at MOE Language Centres, will also be held online. 

This is in line with the new restrictions announced by the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force on Friday amid a rise in community cases.

Schools will enforce fixed seating with 1m spacing for recess, with no intermingling, said MOE.

"To reduce intermingling of students, classes will be strictly cohortised, with lectures capped at a maximum of 50 persons," the ministry added. "Group size across all activities will be reduced from five to two persons, with safe management measures in place."

READ: Group sizes down from 5 to 2, dining-in suspended as Singapore tightens COVID-19 measures

School-based activities and after-school care arrangements will continue, subject to the tightened safe management measures.

Both school-based mid-year assessments and the mid-year GCE O- and A-Level Mother Tongue Language Examinations will proceed. Examinations will be held in the classrooms with safe distancing measures.

READ: Several students who tested positive for COVID-19 linked to private tutor at tuition centre: MOH

INSTITUTES OF HIGHER LEARNING

All institutes of higher learning must keep in-person class and lecture sizes to no more than 50 people, with other larger classes and lectures to be conducted online. 

Dining in canteens and dining halls can continue with the necessary safe management measures, given that students and staff members are on campuses for a longer period of time, said MOE.

READ: Edgefield Secondary School to conduct home-based learning after student contracts COVID-19

READ: VJC student who tested positive for COVID-19 is linked to Changi Airport cluster

Examinations will be reformatted and conducted in classrooms with a maximum class size of 50 people. "Where practicable, IHLs will conduct examinations online," said the ministry.

Internships and work attachments may continue.

"MOE will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with schools and IHLs to implement additional safe management measures where necessary to ensure the well-being of students and staff," said the ministry. 

"We urge all students and staff to consult a doctor immediately if they are feeling unwell, continue practising good personal hygiene and adhere to safe management measures."

PRIVATE TUITION CENTRES

Private education institutions offering pre-tertiary and tertiary courses must follow the tightened national safe management measures. 

As for private tuition and enrichment centres, they are encouraged to consider online lessons as the default arrangement during this period.

If in-person classes proceed, centres must comply strictly with the national safe management measures, including the following:

• Step up screening for staff and students, so that those who are unwell do not attend lessons
• All instructors/staff and students must wear masks
• Students must maintain safe distancing of at least one metre from others and refrain from interacting. If some interaction is unavoidable, they must remain in pairs, with each pair maintaining a distance of at least one metre (preferably two metres) from other groups, with no mixing between groups; and
• In-person singing and wind instrument classes will be suspended.

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