Regional administrations to get discretion on school reopening

In the next month or two the government will give the power to local administrations, school administrations and parents to decide whether their schools should reopen for in-classroom teaching, taking into consideration the risks of COVID-19 transmission. “The school reopening can be done immediately or in stages according to each region’s capability and the decision of their regional heads. The schools wanting to reopen must fulfill the checklist [requirements] for face-to-face teaching and health protocols,” Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim said at an online press conference on Friday. The policy is a major departure from the previous school reopening policy set out in June. Previously, only schools in green or yellow zones were allowed to conduct face-to-face teaching. The new policy allows schools in red zones to reopen. Green zones are areas w…