The Education Ministry is planning to re-open State schools which have been closed for over a year due to the Covid-19 global pandemic, in several phases from this month.
Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said they were considering re-opening 2,962 schools with less than 100 students, adhering to strict health guidelines, under the first phase before the end of this month. Two-thousand centres to assist children without online facilities, will be opened islandwide until the schools are fully functioning, .
These centres will be set up at identified Mahindodaya laboratories, schools, temples and community halls all over the country starting from tomorrow, the Minister said.
A Ministry official said it is necessary to vaccinate the 242,000-strong academic staff and the non-academic staff working in schools before the re-opening to make the program a success and prevent school Covid-19 clusters.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa last week had permitted the vaccination of school staff as a matter of urgency when this matter was raised at the Covid-19 stakeholder meeting.
A road map for school re-opening, to guide officials on how to implement this program ensuring the safety of the children, is to be prepared by the ministry in consultation with Health officials soon.