Education | Primary schools to resume classes from May 25

The class resumption of junior secondary education yesterday

Local primary school level students will be back in classes from May 25, the government announced yesterday during the daily press conference of the Novel Coronavirus Response and Coordination Center.
The news follows the resumption of classes for high school students, which has taken place under a phased approach this month.
According to Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) Chief of the Department of Education, Wong Ka Ki, the return to classes for primary education students will be done in two phases. On May 25, the classes will resume for the students from primary year levels four to six, followed by the resumption of classes from primary year one to primary year three one week later, on June 1.
Wong said that the decision was based on the results so far obtained by the class resumption for secondary school levels that started on May 4 and have “been generally working well with all classes running smoothly and all requested measures been enforced,” adding that this is the “adequate time for the primary level to resume too.”
Wong also noted that besides the primary schools’ resumption, from May 25, study and activities centers are expected to reopen in addition to continuing education centers.
Questioned on whether the kindergarten and special education levels would resume this school year, Wong admitted they may remain closed.
“We do not exclude the possibility that the classes [from those levels] will not resume this school year,” he said. He noted that for the time being, the conditions to allow those levels to restart have not yet been met.
Wong also said that according to the regulations put in place regarding Covid-19, if parents disagree with the return of their children to school for any particular reason, they could request that their children remain absent from class on the grounds of the epidemic.
Wong said that all hygiene and safety measures are being put into place and granted by the school institutions, adding that Macau’s stock of masks for children is sufficient and schools have also acquired some in case a student loses or damages the facemask during the school day.
Questioned about the so-called “courtesy program” – under which some institutions are helping families whose children’s class activities have not resumed but have no way to take care of their children – Wong said that so far the DSEJ has received a request for help from 2,800 students.