Starting 19th May, graduating corhorts such as Primary 6, ‘O’ Level, ‘A’ Level students, etc, will resume preparations for their respective national examinations.
All students will resume classes with various safety implementations in place. Students will attend classes in smaller groups and one-to-one sessions with teachers would be carried out.
Minister of Education, Mr Ong Ye Kung, stated the following on his Facebook page :
The Government has just announced some initial steps to allow activities such as barbers, home-based business and laundromats to resume during the circuit breaker period in May.
For MOE, we will enter the four-week mid-year school holidays in May. The first two weeks will be protected time for teachers. This is something we always do, to allow teachers some time to rest and recharge, although we know many of them use the time to plan lessons and stay in touch with students.
As for the following two weeks, ‪starting 19 May‬, schools will invite back students from graduating cohorts, i.e. Pri 6, Sec 4 and 5, JC2 and Pre-U 3. We know that these students have been anxious about the preparation for their national exams, and that home-based learning cannot fully substitute face to face coaching and lessons.
Attendance is up to the students, if they feel they need help. This is something schools have always done during the mid year school holidays.
Their return to school will be done in a careful and calibrated manner, with ample safe distancing. They will come back in small groups, on selected days in a week, throughout the day, and will be spaced out within the school compound. They will meet teachers one-to-one, or in small groups. Masks are compulsory.
We will give priority to students requiring school facilities for coursework and practical sessions, as well as those who need additional support and remediation.
Throughout the holidays, schools will also continue to engage students with greater needs and provide care for those whose parents work in essential services and are unable to secure alternative care arrangements. For teachers rostered during this period, they will be given protected rest time in the later half of May.