From Monday schools will be open for pupils following an agreement reached today at a meeting between the Prime Minister, the Education Minister and the Permanent Secretary, together with the Malta Union of Teachers, the Catholic Education Secretariat, the Association of Church Schools and the Association of Independent Schools.

In a joint statement on Friday evening, they said that during the meeting a presentation was made of the pandemic situation and the effect on schools by the Superintendent of Public Health Professor Charmaine Gauci, with the assistance of Dr Vincent Marmarà, so that the parties could have an analysis of the pandemic statistics.

“The conclusion of all this was to give a clear assurance that, as schools are opened with mitigation measures, there is a greater tendency to reduce cases in the community as families participate in fewer social activities. This provides more protection for children and educators and helps curb the pandemic nationwide,” the statement said.

Schools can therefore open from Monday, the 11th of January, with all measures introduced in accordance with the protocols agreed with the Superintendent of Public Health. The parties also recorded this agreement:

– Contact tracing and implementation of protocols will be strengthened;

– The procedure for medical certificates to be presented in schools will be improved;

– School staff will be a priority in the vaccine implementation programme, like health care workers and the elderly;

– All parties will have a weekly update and figures on the effect of the pandemic in schools;

– The government and all parties are reuniting in a working group to discuss and review work on the pandemic on an ongoing basis.

The statement concluded by saying that schools in all sectors will be open from Monday with all mitigation measures in accordance with the protocols and modalities that were operated by each school before Christmas.

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