SINGAPORE – All in-person co-curricular activities (CCAs) and non-essential enrichment lessons in schools will be suspended until further notice.

In addition, for physical education classes, schools will conduct individual mask-off activities only in outdoor or well-ventilated venues, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Tuesday (July 20).

These are among the additional precautions that will be in place for Singapore’s return to phase two (heightened alert) from July 22 to Aug 18, said the ministry.

“To minimise the impact on students’ learning, schools (including special education schools and MOE kindergartens) and institutes of higher learning will remain open but with tightened safe management measures to curb the risk of Covid-19 transmission,” said MOE.

Beyond the tightened guidelines on CCAs and physical education classes, activities such as external CCAs and learning journeys will remain suspended.

Mask-off music and drama classes will be suspended, and centre-based classes will be conducted online for all non-graduating cohorts.

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

MOE also said existing precautions will remain in place. These include fixed exam-style seating in classes, and fixed seating arrangements for students during recess.

It added that national examinations may be affected by the tightened measures, and that it will update schools about the arrangements for these exams.

On measures for institutes of higher learning, MOH said that they will continue to limit physical class and lecture sizes to 50 people.

“Internships and work attachments will continue, with students adhering to the prevailing safe management measures at the organisations they are attached with,” MOH added.

Across schools, students and staff who have been put under the Health Ministry’s health risk warning, for those who visited hot spots at the same time as a confirmed Covid-19 case or are casual contacts of the case, will be placed on approved absence or leave of absence.

They can only return to campus after they have tested negative in a required Covid-19 swab test.

Students and staff put under the lower-tier health risk alert will be able to return to campus. But they should limit their social interactions, monitor their health and see a doctor promptly if they feel unwell, said MOE. The alert applies to those who have visited hot spot areas or were in their vicinity.

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On private education institutions and privately-funded schools, MOE said they are required to abide by all prevailing national Covid-19 measures.

They are advised to take reference from the tightened measures for other schools and adopt the measures where possible.

MOE also said that mask-on in-person tuition and enrichment classes are permitted, but it “strongly encourages” that such classes be conducted online.

However, in-person private tuition and enrichment classes that involve mask-off activities would not be allowed during phase 2 (heightened alert).

MOE said it will continue to monitor the situation. It added that it will work with schools and institutes of higher learning to ensure the well-being of students and staff.

Read next: What you need to know about Singapore’s Covid-19 rules from July 22

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