COVID-19: Summer schools to be prepared for any eventuality, minister says

Government summer schools preparations underway as talks with health authorities on mitigation measures continue

File Photo
File Photo

The Foundation for Educational Services is well prepared to deal with any scenario that crops up due to COVID-19 when summer school starts.

Answering a parliamentary question made by Nationalist MP Mario Galea, Education Minister Owen Bonnici said that FES is coordinating with health authorities over all possible situations which might arise.

On May 5, Bonnici said that despite Skolasajf – the government’s summer school programme – it received around 70% less applications then it used to receive when compared to previous years.

By May, 10,000 applications would have been received, with the number going down to 3,000.

“But 3,000 people are 3,000 people - I am not doing to tell them that we aren’t caring”, he added.

He said that the plan remains to open the programme on 1 July, but noted that the necessary updates will be given closer to the day.

With the education minister saying that government is consulting with health authorities, Bonnici was asked to specify with whom discussions were being conducted.

He said that the Superintendence of Public Health is being consulted.

No statement has been issued as yet by government on when and how schools will re-open for the next scholastic year.