Arrangements for Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning Under Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) from 22 July 2021

In line with the Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) national stance from 22 July 2021 to 18 August 2021, the Ministry of Education (MOE) will tighten safe management measures (SMMs) in MOE Kindergartens (MKs), primary and secondary schools, Special Education (SPED) schools, junior colleges, Millennia Institute and the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) for the continued safety and well-being of our students and staff.

Schools and Institutes of Higher Learning

2. To minimise the impact on students' learning, schools (including SPED schools and MKs) and IHLs will remain open but with tightened SMMs from Thursday, 22 July, to curb the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The additional measures across schools are as follows:

1. All in-person Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) and non-essential enrichment will be suspended till further notice. Where possible and meaningful, CCAs may be reformatted and conducted online (eCCA);
2. External activities such as external CCAs and learning journeys will remain suspended;
3. For physical education classes, schools will only conduct individual mask-off activities in outdoor or well-ventilated venues. There will be no group activities;
4. Mask-off music and drama classes will be suspended; and
5. Centre-based classes will be conducted online for all non-graduating cohorts.

3. School-based activities and after-school care arrangements will continue, subject to the tightened SMMs. Schools will also continue to have fixed exam-style seating, with up to two students per group for group work. During recess, fixed seating arrangements will also remain, with 1m spacing between students. Schools will also be updated further about the arrangements for national examinations which may be affected by the tightened SMMs.

4. All IHLs will continue to keep in-person class and lecture sizes to no more than 50 persons. Similar to schools, in-person CCAs and indoor mask-off activities will be suspended. Internships and work attachments will continue, with students adhering to the prevailing SMMs at the organisations they are attached with.

5. In addition, students and staff who have been put under the Ministry of Health's (MOH's) Health Risk Warning (HRW) will be placed on Approved Absence (AA)/ Leave of Absence (LOA), and will only be allowed to return to campus after their exit Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) swab test result is negative. Students and staff who have been put under Health Risk Alert (HRA) will be able to return to campus, but should limit their social interactions as an added precaution, monitor their health and see a doctor promptly if they feel unwell.

Private Education Institutions and Other Educational Entities

6. All Private Education Institutions (PEIs) and Privately-Funded Schools (PFSs) are required to abide by all prevailing national SMMs. PFSs as well as PEIs with similar student profiles and that conduct similar activities to schools and IHLs, are strongly advised to take reference from the tightened posture and SMMs for schools and IHLs, and adopt them where possible.

7. In-person private tuition and enrichment classes that involve mask-off activities would not be allowed in Phase 2 (Heightened Alert), for example, those that involve singing and wind instruments, etc. While other mask-on in-person tuition and enrichment classes are permitted, MOE strongly encourages all private tuition and enrichment classes to be conducted online to minimise the risk of inter-mingling of students. Likewise, telecommuting should be the default arrangement for staff of these centres, but should there be staff deployed on-site, centres must strictly ensure there is no cross-deployment of staff across worksites, to reduce the risk of introducing infection spread through staff inter-mingling.

8. Private tuition and enrichment centres should regularly check and adhere strictly to MOE's requirements. Sports, and arts and culture classes should also take reference from SportSG and the National Arts Council's latest requirements at: https://www.gobusiness.gov.sg/safemanagement/sector.

9. MOE will continue to monitor the situation closely, and work with schools and IHLs to implement additional SMMs where necessary to ensure the continued well-being of students and staff. We urge all students and staff to continue practising good personal hygiene and adhere to all necessary SMMs. These include wearing masks, washing hands frequently, wiping down equipment and tables after each use, seeing a doctor immediately if they feel unwell and returning to school or campus only when fully recovered.