Almost 80% of students attend first day of school

78% of year 9 students (form 3) attended school on their first day back, while only 60% of kinder 2 students returned to the classroom.

77% of year 6 students returned.

The education ministry said that a total of 5,489 students returned to the school bench on Wednesday, as government started its staggered approach to entry, with all state school students expected to be back by next Wednesday.

Today students in State and church schools across the island returned to their classrooms for the first time since the pandemic began in March after the reopening of schools was postponed by a week. Entry has been staggered over a week.

Tomorrow, Kinder 1, Year 1 and Year 11 students will be returning back to schools.

The education ministry said a number of measures have been implemented to aid the safe transition back into school, including the employment of a security guard at all schools and the increased sanitation and cleaning of school buildings.

On Wednesday, Disability Commissioner Oliver Scicluna said the commission was notified that a number of teachers who provide specific services, such as teachers for the visually and hearing impaired, early intervention services, as well as other important services being provided by NSSS would stop providing such services due to COVID-19 operational and logistical matters.

Instead, the commission said it was informed that these teachers would be assisting the mainstream cohort due to having classes split up into bubbles which thus required more teachers.

Scicluna said that such services cannot be viewed as secondary services but as essential mechanisms for particular students.

“In this regard, the Commission urges the responsible authorities to re-evaluate the situation to provide the necessary support to all of its students, as is their right.”