Primary, Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges and Millennia Institute to Shift to Full Home-based Learning

1. With the sharp increase in the number of community cases, including the spike in unlinked cases today, there is a need to reduce interactions and avoid the risk of large clusters. As such, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will be stepping up precautionary measures to safeguard the well-being of all students and staff.

2. Starting from Wednesday 19 May 2021, all primary, secondary, junior college (JC) and Millennia Institute (MI) students, including students from Special Education (SPED) schools, will shift to full Home-Based Learning (HBL) till end of the term on 28 May 2021. Preschools and student care centres will remain open to support parents who need to work. As work-from-home will be the default mode at workplaces, parents are encouraged to keep their children at home during this period where possible¹. During the June holidays, schools will allow graduating cohorts to come back in small groups where necessary. The mid-year GCE O- and A-Level Mother Tongue Language examinations will proceed as planned and with strict Safe Management Measures (SMMs) in place.

Primary and Secondary Schools, JCs/MI, Special Education Schools

3. During the full HBL phase, schools will continue to provide instructions and support for students to access a range of both online and hardcopy HBL materials, so that learning continues uninterrupted. Schools will also assist students who may require digital devices or internet access. The Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) platform will continue to be accessible to students during this period. Throughout this period of full HBL, our students can rely on the ongoing support of their teachers and other school personnel who will continue to work from home or from school. School staff will also keep in regular contact with them and their parents. Likewise, SPED teachers will provide our students in SPED schools as well as their parents with HBL support, and maintain regular contact.

4. Schools will remain open for students who require additional support. In particular, parents working in essential services or are unable to secure alternative care arrangements, may approach their children's primary schools for assistance.

Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs)

5. The IHLs will reduce attendance on campus, by converting more classes to online learning where possible, with the exception of essential in-person sessions such as labs, practicals and final year projects. These will continue to be conducted in person with the necessary SMMs in place. These measures will hold until end of Phase 2 Heightened Alert or further notice.

Private Education Institutions

6. Private Education Institutions (PEIs) offering pre-tertiary and tertiary courses must continue to abide by all national SMM guidelines, but we encourage them to take reference from the measures for schools and IHLs and decide if they wish to adopt similarly tightened measures over and above the national SMMs.

Tuition and Enrichment Centres to Shift Online or Suspend Activities

7. All centre-based tuition and enrichment classes must move activities online till the end of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert). This is necessary to reduce the intermingling of students from different schools and enhance the safety of our students. These measures will hold until end of Phase 2 Heightened Alert or further notice.

Footnotes

1. To facilitate this, ECDA is prepared to waive the requirement for minimum attendance for preschool subsidies. ECDA is also prepared to waive the requirement for preschools to remain in operation at required hours during this period, if all parents in the preschool decide to keep their children at home.