COVID-19 situation puts a pause on education

Schools, preschools given early April vacation on Friday (March 13), universities closed from Saturday (March 14) for two weeks. Education authorities should be prepared to extend school holiday if COVID-19 infects more people within the country.

Government schools will have to find a way to cover their syllabuses when students return after the extended holiday given as a precautionary measure to prevent the spreading of the Coronavirus.

Education Ministry authorities should be prepared to extend the holiday if the virus infects more people within the country.

Preschools, schools and universities were all closed temporarily throughout the country from Friday (March 13) onwards, as two patients tested positive for the Coronavirus this week.

On Thursday the Education Ministry announced that all Government schools throughout the country were to closed from March 13 to April 20, with the April school holidays brought forward. First term examinations were also scrapped.

Education Minister Dullas Alahapperuma told journalists on Thursday, the decision to close schools was taken following the detection of the first local patient diagnosed with COVID- 19, the disease contracted through the novel Coronavirus.

The Minister also said false information circulated online about the son of the first patient, a 52-year-old tour guide, being diagnosed with the disease had caused panic at Ananda College, Colombo - the school the patient's son attends.

After the false reports, Thursday's school attendance had dropped to about 60%, while parents of the students who did attend school had shown up later to take them home.

He said similar situations had arisen at several Southern Province schools attended by children of employees who worked at a hotel the patient had stayed in.

With 4.3 million students currently studying in Government schools, the decision to close these schools was taken as a necessary precaution, Mr Alahapperuma added.

All private and international Catholic schools under the Catholic Church too were given holidays from March 13 until April 20.

The Muslim Religious Affairs Ministry also requested Muslim schools to declare holidays in line with those declared for other

Government schools.

On Friday, the University Grants Commission (UGC) said all universities throughout the country were to be closed from Saturday (March 14) for two weeks as part of a precautionary measure as well. The UGC said the decision was taken following a meeting of university vice-chancellors.

Accordingly, all internal academic courses, weekend external courses and examinations have been postponed by two weeks.

Meanwhile, Buddhist Affairs Commissioner General Sunanda Kariyapperuma said all dhamma schools in the country will be closed until April 26.

On Friday, the Women and Child Affairs Ministry too decided to close all preschools in the country until further notice. All private schools and tuition classes were also requested to be sensitive to the situation and consider suspending classes.

Following this request, the All Island Professional Lecturers’ Association too announced that all tuition classes will be suspended until March 26.