High school seniors back to school

Around ten thousand high school seniors returned to public schools on Monday, after almost two months away from their classes due to the restrictive measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.

High school students in their final year as well as third-year students in technical schools returned to class on Monday with a maximum of 12 students per classroom.

Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou was scheduled to visit two high schools in the Archangelos area of Nicosia to monitor firsthand the students’ return.

Last week, President Nicos Anastasiades said that opening all levels of education in the Republic of Cyprus remained contingent upon the epidemiological situation, the final say of scientific experts advising the government, as well as strict adherence to hygiene protocols for teachers, students and all those working in the school environment.

Prodromou had also said return to schools would go forward with strict implementation to health guidelines and protocols.

But parents and teachers groups, along with unions and political parties, expressed concern as to whether students were safe to go back to school.

The minister had clarified that in order for the return to be possible, half of the students would go to school on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and the other half on Thursday and Friday.

Prodromou also said that 20,000 random tests would be carried out among students and teachers, while other measures as disinfection of schools, class designation, provision of hand sanitizers and the creation of quarantine areas if needed have also been taken.

Union teachers described the return to school as a “great and unnecessary risk” while the minister said the rest of the students in primary and secondary education would not return until May 21, when pre-schools and kindergartens would also resume operations.