Coronavirus: schools gearing up to reopen for primary and final year students

Some 60,000 students are returning to government schools on Monday, as the next phase of relaxed measures come into force, Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou said in an interview on Sunday.

A few more thousand are expected in private schools as primary schools and final year students will be going back to school where according to Prodromou, everything is in order for their return, he told the Cyprus News Agency.

“Our good management and collective efforts by the people allow us to reopen schools…our country has been one of the best in handling the pandemic across the world. This is positively reflected in education.”

Health protocols will no doubt be kept, he added, as teachers are also better experienced on the matter, Prodromou said. “Apart from health and education matters, we mustn’t forget the psychological factor.”

A special seminar will be organised on February 11 for primary school teachers on helping children through their teaching become more resilient in terms of mental health during the pandemic. A similar seminar is in the works for secondary school students.

Students have been out of school for almost a month and a half and the minister expressed his hope that more students will be able to return soon.

Where final year lyceum and technical students are concerns, there are a series of rapid tests available for students to take, provided they have consent from their parents.