SINGAPORE - More school activities will resume for students in secondary school and above from next January, such as co-curricular activities, assemblies and learning journeys.
The Ministry of Education on Monday (Nov 8) said it would resume more activities for secondary schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute, including the National School Games and the Singapore Youth Festival.
Institutes of higher learning will also look to bring back more aspects of campus life such as more in-person lessons and student activities, as well as larger-scale sports events like the Polytechnic-ITE games and Inter-Faculty Games.
In a Facebook post, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing noted that a holistic school experience goes beyond the classroom.
"When we look back at our schooling years, the most treasured memories are those with our friends. Notwithstanding the disruptions from Covid-19, our students need supportive social networks that they can lean on - and these can be formed only through time spent with their peers," he said.
As part of a broader easing of restrictions from Wednesday (Nov 10), secondary schools and secondary or senior sections of special education schools, junior colleges, Millennia Institute and institutes of higher learning will be allowed to conduct masked activities in sub-groups of up to five people.
These educational institutes will pilot the resumption of team sports to allow a group of up to 10 fully vaccinated people - including players, umpires, linesmen - to play together, similar to a team sports pilot run by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
As part of this pilot, participants have to produce a valid negative antigen rapid test (ART) result on-site prior to each game.
The Ministry of Education will review the outcome of these pilots in November and December to prepare for scaling up of these sports activities in 2022.
Mr Chan said that in allowing more activities to resume, his ministry had considered the high vaccination rates for students aged above 12. Additional precautionary measures like ARTs for sports players will also be in place, he added.
On Jan 4, 2022, only Kindergarten 1 children in MOE kindergartens and Primary 1 pupils will report to their schools for the first day of school. This includes the primary and junior sections of special education schools, and is similar to the arrangement earlier this year.
One parent or guardian will be allowed to accompany their Kindergarten 1 or Primary 1 child or ward to their new school to help them better adjust to the new environment and routines.
Kindergarten 2 children and Primary 2 to 6 pupils will return to school only a day later on Jan 5.
This will better facilitate the safe return of students at the start of the school year and ensure safe management measures can be implemented effectively, said the Ministry of Education.
Read next - S'pore eases Covid-19 rules from Nov 10: What you need to know
