Coronavirus: gymnasium pupils will not return to school before April 2

Gymnasium students will continue distance learning until the end of the month, Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou said on Tuesday.

Speaking after the cabinet meeting which was expected to discuss the possibility of earlier return of gymnasium students, the minister said there would be no modifications to the initial plan by the health ministry that sees children return on April 2.

Officials will focus on the matter at the upcoming cabinet meeting next week “at the same time with the expiration of the health minister’s decree”, Prodromou added.

Gymnasiums concern the first three grades of high school.

His statements came after a parents’ demonstration outside the presidential palace on Monday afternoon demanding their children return to school, citing educational and psychological reasons.

“The cases of children who have depression and PTSD have increased during the pandemic and many of them started treatment,” said the head of the Pancyprian Federation of Parents’ Associations Charalambos Dionysiou citing statements by professionals in the field.

High school students (final three grades) do attend school, as well as primary school students with the exception of Limassol which had an upsurge in coronavirus cases.

Parents criticised the decision to only keep gymnasium students at home as illogical since the hospitality sector also reopened earlier this month.