Schools in Singapore will be reopening on June 2, after the mid-year holidays were brought forward to May.

Schools had shifted from physical classes to full home-based learning (HBL) from Apr. 8, in line with the implementation of the circuit breaker measures, which kicked in on Apr. 7.

With most children safely cloistered at home for a full six weeks, parents have voiced concerns with the reopening of schools, with some petitioning for all teachers to be tested for Covid-19:

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung took to Facebook on May 21 to respond to the "top 3 questions" which parents raised about the reopening.

1. Opting for HBL not permitted

Students not in graduating cohorts will be on weekly rotations between attending schools and HBL:

Some parents wanted to opt for continued full-time HBL instead of sending their children back to school.

In response, Ong pointed to precautionary measures which would be implemented in line with the reopening.

"But unless there are specific concerns arising from medical conditions, we cannot make attending school voluntary," he said.

Resuming school, Ong said, would "reclaim a sense of normalcy" and minimise the negative impact on children's "socio-emotional and mental well-being", which might otherwise arise if they continued to be kept at home.

Parents opting for HBL is not good for both students and teachers

Furthermore, "a voluntary system for parents is not good for the morale of both students and teachers," he said, pointing out that allowing parents to opt for HBL would create a divide between "those whose families are able to provide care at home, and those who can’t".

It would also force teachers to bear the load of "classroom teaching and facilitating HBL for every lesson".

Finally, Ong pointed to the fact that most cases of Covid-19 transmitted to children had been from their family members, a point which he had recently underscored with a POFMA invocation.

2. Childcare arrangements in light of school on alternate weeks

Ong acknowledged that the rotations between school and HBL might pose challenges for some families in terms of childcare arrangements.

However, he said that they should "try (their) best to work out a suitable arrangement", taking into account the fact that companies have been asked to keep telecommuting as the norm.

He said, however, that families unable to make suitable arrangements could approach their child's school for assistance with "limited care to young students on HBL but without childcare arrangements".

3. Wearing of masks

On concerns over the wearing of masks, which are compulsory for all children above the age of two, Ong said that teachers would help younger children get used to this over time.

He also said that there would be flexibility for "special circumstances".

Ong also said that all preschool and primary school students will be receiving face shields when schools reopen.

Face shields are allowed as an alternative to face masks, the Ministry of Health (MOH) clarified on Apr. 29.

Other countries reopening schools too

Ong also pointed out that many other countries "have realised that school cannot be closed indefinitely", and had plans to re-open schools in spite of some having a higher number of community cases as compared to Singapore's.

In South Korea, which is reopening schools in phases from May 20, precautions include setting up plastic shields at eating areas.

You can read Ong's full post here.

Related content:

https://mothership.sg/2020/05/school-reopen-june-2/

Top image via Ministry of Education and Ong Ye Kung on Facebook