All schools and institutes of higher learning will close from next Wednesday and lessons will go virtual, as Singapore steps up measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.
This will last until at least May 4.
Mid-year examinations will also be scrapped this year to reduce anxiety for students, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung yesterday.
But national exams will take place as they are essential, he said during a press conference of the multi-ministry task force fighting the coronavirus. This includes oral and written mother tongue language exams on June 1 and 2, which will proceed with safe distancing measures in place.
Students have already gone through a day of home-based learning this week, with primary school pupils doing so on Wednesday, secondary school students on Thursday and junior college and Millennia Institute students yesterday.
Schools will remain open for a small group of students whose families do not have alternative care arrangements or home support. Based on estimates, each school could have between 10 and 50 students who fall in this group.
Mr Ong said the Education Ministry will monitor the situation for year-end exams, like the Primary School Leaving Examination and O levels, and make necessary adjustments. For example, if curriculum teaching is compromised, some topics can be taken out of the exam papers. Marking can also be adjusted to be more lenient in such cases.
Lessons and exams in autonomous universities will also move completely online, Mr Ong said. Private education institutions should move to home-based learning or suspend classes otherwise.
He added: "The current situation requiring online and home-based learning is far from ideal.
"We know that education is holistic. It is really not just about covering the curriculum - that is the easy part. Education is a social process and a social journey. But we must make the best of it, given the current situation we are in."
Parents told The Straits Times they understood the need for schools to close at this point to stem further community transmission of the coronavirus. Those working said they hope employers will be more understanding of their situation in the weeks ahead.
A parent who wanted to be known only as Madam Tan said she took leave on Wednesday to supervise her children's lessons at home.
"I was told to take childcare leave for this week because I was not on the team that was working from home, but I cannot be taking leave all the time," said the 40-year-old communications manager.
Her Primary 4 daughter and Primary 6 son, who attend different schools, also had trouble logging on to the online learning platform that day. It took them about three hours to do so. "Based on the first week's experience, primary school kids definitely need supervision," she said.
Madam Eunice Tay, 43, said parents with Primary 6 children like herself are concerned about learning being disrupted in a critical school year. "We're worried the kids can't grasp new concepts through online lessons, which may not be as efficient as face-to-face lessons," said the entrepreneur who has a daughter in Primary 4 and a son in Primary 6. "But this is a worldwide crisis and I think we just have to do our best."
Expecting schools to close, she quickly fixed an extra router point in her home last week. "We need the Wi-Fi signal to be stronger for everyone because I will also need to do work at home," she said.
Business manager Frederick Chong, 47, said his Primary 5 and Secondary 3 sons are happy they do not have to go to school.
"But for us as parents this is probably going to be a challenge. It's going to be a very long month ahead," he said. "I take my hat off to all the teachers. They have done a good job to make sure lessons are interactive and the kids are engaged even when they are not physically present."
- Additional reporting by Rei Kurohi
