Education Minister Justyne Caruana has announced the updated protocols for the start of the next school year.

She said that with 85% of students over 16-years of age have been vaccinated, and 73% of those between the ages of 12 and 15, has meant that they have been able to relax restrictions for the next educational year. However, masks will still be mandatory, even for those fully vaccinated.

Some of the updated protocols include:

• For those classes (age 8 and under), where the age of the students does not allow them to receive the vaccine, the social distance of one and a half meters between the students ’desks will be maintained.

• As a result of the protective effect of the vaccine, the physical distance between the desks of students in the classroom for the year 9 and above can be reduced to one metre – here the schools concerned can leave a distance of one metre and a half where this is feasible.

• The updated core protocols now allow for more activities for students to get closer to what their children need: learning that also helps in the social development of our children. Laboratory practice lessons will therefore be allowed; practice lessons known as fieldwork can be given; physical education activities may take place; special and social events can be held – for example: a student’s birthday celebration; in all of these the principle of groups must be respected – what is known as the student bubble and also the protocols related to preventing the spread of Covid.

• In the case of equipment during physical education as well as during laboratory practice lessons, the equipment used must be regularly sanitised.

• Tuck shops can also open but can only offer pre-packaged items.

• At the beginning of the school year, parents or guardians of students will not be allowed to enter school activities or events. This may change during the school year and depends on the release of further preventive measures for the spread of the pandemic as issued periodically by the health authorities.

• In the case of kindergarten assistants and LSEs, they are advised to wear both a mask and a visor.

• Occasional and essential school assemblies may be held as long as social distance and the bubble principle are maintained.

• In those cases where quarantine is required, all protocols in force for the general public as issued by the health authorities will also apply to the education sector. This also applies to the protocols applicable to the adoption of a shortened quarantine period of course for the vaccinated.

• On graduation ceremonies, talks are currently taking place between institutions providing tertiary education and health authorities which should lead to an agreement on how these ceremonies could possibly take place.

• The Ministry is also conducting further studies to see what measures can be put in place to alleviate the students’ lack of physical learning experience.

The Minister said that the joint team between the Education Ministry and the Health Ministry will continue its work this year with the school Covid-19 liaison officers – the aim is to identify as soon as possible any cases of Covid in schools in order to take immediate action on contact tracing and action by health authorities.

To see Guidelines for the Education Sector up to Secondary Schools, please click here

For guidelines to the educational sector for Post-Secondary Schools/Institutions and Tertiary Institutions, please click here

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