As Singapore moves into Phase 2 of reopening after the COVID-19 circuit breaker, students from all levels will return to school from June 29.
Among the activities set to resume in schools is Physical Education (PE), which will only allow 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.
Ministry of Education (MOE) centre-based lessons will resume for non-graduating levels from June 29 as well.
The MOE has also expressed its intention to gradually bring back Co-Curricular Activities starting with CCAs that can be conducted by coaches, instructors or CCA teachers through digital means, including dance, computer programming, art and robotics.
Those activities that are more suitable face-to-face, can be implemented at the class level, to minimise inter-mingling.
Safe Management Measures for schools:
- Daily temperature-taking and visual screening for all students and staff.
- Students and staff who are unwell, or who 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.
- Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces and disinfection of the premises to be done daily.
- Students to practise frequent hand-washing throughout the school day and wipe down of tables and shared equipment after use.
- Intermingling across classes and levels to be reduced.
- Fixed exam-style seating in classrooms with small group discussions allowed.
- Students are to continue sitting in spaced seating arrangements in canteens, where possible. Otherwise, fixed groups of up to five from the same class are allowed.
- Staggered arrival, dismissal and recess timings to reduce congestion.
- Students and staff to wear masks. In situations where wearing of masks may not be practical (e.g. students with health conditions), they can wear face shields instead.
Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL)
The MOE has also said that IHLs will progressively increase the number of students allowed back on campus for in-person learning. Students will continue to return for practical and lab sessions, with no more than 50 persons per class.
Other classes or consultations that were previously conducted online can now gradually resume on campus with no more than 50 persons per class. However, all large-scale classes and lectures will continue to be held online.
Student activities, such as project work discussions, fitness training and face-to-face counselling, can resume gradually, subject to the necessary safe management measures, including at least one metre distance between individuals and with no more than 50 persons in a venue.
Safe management measures in IHLs include:
- All students, staff, vendors and visitors to check in and out using SafeEntry, when entering or leaving the campus. Temperature and symptom screening will also be done at entrances.
- All students and staff will be required to wear masks at all times, although teaching staff have the option of wearing face shields in lieu of masks in specific teaching settings.
- Fixed seating and safe distancing in teaching venues where applicable.
- To reduce intermingling between students on campus, IHLs will stagger the start and end timings for lessons.