Schools to remain closed for one more week

The Director General of Public Health, on Monday, ordered the temporary closure of all schools and other educational institutions in Maldives for one week, effective from March 22.

The decision means that schools, which were scheduled to reopen on March 22 following a one-week extension to the midterm break, will remain closed for one more week.

Schools are now scheduled to reopen on March 29.

The decision was also announced by government spokesperson Mabrook Azeez during a press conference held at the National Emergency Operations Center on Monday afternoon.

13 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives, all of whom are foreign nationals who were either working or vacationing in resorts. Of the 13 people, five were from Kuredu Island Resort, two from Island Safari-1, two from Sandies Bathala, two from Kuramathi Island Resort, and two from Anantara Dhigu.

Maldives has a 30-day state of public health emergency in effect, under which the Director General of Public Health has imposed several precautionary measures to prevent and contain a COVID-19 outbreak in Maldives.

It includes the temporary suspension of all tuition classes and Quran classes.

Education Ministry is currently engaged in research into alternative teaching methods to ensure the education of students go uninterrupted. It is also engaged in preparing a scheme to teach students at all educational levels online, which will be implemented in the event the opening of schools is postponed further.

A tele-class program was launched on PSM’s Yes TV for 10th graders and students who will be sitting in the AS exams this year on Sunday, and classes for A’ Level students are scheduled to be launched through VTV on Tuesday.

Education Minister Dr. Aishath Ali said on Sunday that the ministry was committed to making education accessible to as many students as possible. She said that the reason for focusing on tele-classes was because some students did not have access to internet.

The Education Ministry has instructed schools to identify students who do not have access to either television or internet services, and has promised to make alternative arrangements to remedy such issues.