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COVID-19: Students to have home-based learning once a week from April


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SINGAPORE - Starting April 1 next week, all schools will conduct one day of home-based learning a week, in the light of the recent spike of Covid-19 cases in Singapore.

Primary schools will do so on Wednesdays, secondary schools on Thursdays, and junior colleges/Centralised Institute on Fridays.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said on Friday (March 27) that this move will better prepare parents and students for more days of home-based learning if and when required.

Schools will also stagger dismissal times to reduce the congestion when students take public transport or the school bus home.

Singapore has ramped up measures over the past few weeks progessively to curb the spread of the virus, said Mr Ong.

"So likewise, for schools, which are a major part of people's lives, we have also been stepping up (measures). So we will not want to do something dramatic, sudden, that will result in school closure," he said.

"We still have options, we are not like many countries where they are forced into sudden school closures."

When asked how long this home-based learning arrangement will last, Mr Ong said: "It depends how long the virus lasts, and how long we feel it will be around."

From next Monday (March 30), schools will provide instructions to students and parents on accessing the home-based learning materials. Assistance will be given to students who do not have access to digital devices when their learning requires it.

Students will have about four to five hours of learning on the day of home-based learning, of which two hours can be used to access digital devices.

It can come in different forms, through e-lessons, or other references like worksheets and textbooks. Teachers could also conduct lessons via "live" videos.


Schools will remain open for a small group of students whose parents are not able to make alternative childcare arrangements, and priority will be given to parents working in essential services such as healthcare or public transport.

A small number of teachers in schools will supervise these students.

Most teachers will stay at home on the day of home-based learning, while about 20 per cent of staff, including the principal, will remain in school.

Co-curricular activities (CCAs) will remain suspended for the rest of Term 2, and so will other activities that involve mingling of students across schools like the National School Games.

The Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation will be cancelled.

On Sunday, Mr Ong had said that he received many questions from parents, with some asking why the March holidays were not extended, especially given the rising numbers of imported Covid-19 cases and impending border closures.

He cited scientific evidence showing that young people are not spreaders of the virus, and said that closing schools would also disrupt the lives of many people, particularly parents who are both working, and who have limited childcare options.

Various precautionary measures have already been put in place and hygiene protocols have been stepped up. Students now only spend their time with those in their classes, with CCAs and inter-school activities suspended.

They sit apart in class and are reminded to wash their hands regularly and avoid touching their faces.

Communal activities such as mass assemblies and school camps have been suspended. Recess timings are staggered and temperature checks are conducted daily.

Students who are not feeling well - be it with a cough, sore throat or a fever - will be placed in an isolation room in school or sent home.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/coronavirus-students-to-have-home-based-learning-once-a-week-from-april-as-schools-step-up

 

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This is BS. Why just one day a week? 

They keep emphasising elearning with Marshall Cavendish etc. and yet can't get their act together when there's a real need to do elearning. Shaking my head.

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Supercharged

actually I don't understand why they so worry about parents not  able to take care of their kids if school close.

Then may I ask.....during school holidays how? Let the kids all run wild outside is it? Those young one also run wild outside during holidays?

People tell me I can just don't let the kids go school if wan to be safe. But I dun like the kids to ponteng school leh....

 

 

 

 

Edited by Starry
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I do support the minister's decision not to suspend school At THIS POINT. So far we have not yet encounter a school/student cluster. The young students are probably more immune compared to adults. Or maybe the classrooms (in our national schools) are ventilated and not air-conditioned. 

Don't use up all the ammo yet, cos we don't know how long this is going to last. 

 

Edited by Volvobrick
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MOE, pls make up ur mind. Is school safe for our kids or not safe for kids? If it is safe, what is the point for home learning and cancelling CCA?  If it is not safe, why don’t you close the schools?

Pls make a decision based on science, not this kind of hedging strategy to cover ur ass.

 

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One day stoppage. The school can prepare home work before hand. Many schools already do it for exam marking days etc.

Stopping school for say two weeks is a whole different issue. Doing one day per week really doesn't make a difference. Even to test proof of concept, I think not needed. If want proof of concept, no school for next week first then re evaluate. 

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How is it that young ppl arent spreader of the virus??

Virus know how to choose their victims?
Ministers arent virologists or scientists leh. Show ppl some "evidence" and conclude the above. That's not socially responsible...at all.

I dont buy it.

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8 minutes ago, Lala81 said:

One day stoppage. The school can prepare home work before hand. Many schools already do it for exam marking days etc.

Stopping school for say two weeks is a whole different issue. Doing one day per week really doesn't make a difference. Even to test proof of concept, I think not needed. If want proof of concept, no school for next week first then re evaluate. 

Aiya, sad truth is they dont want ppl to stop working to tend to their children and let the economy sink deeper into recession.

He's saying things to patronise the parents.

Edited by Watwheels
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https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-rates/

There are some useful statistics here. First there are proportionally much lesser confirmed cases among teenagers or younger ones. Don't know if they have very mild symptoms when infected, thus undetected, or the virus don't like their immune system and can't get a foothold. 

Second the mortality rate is much much lower compared to older people. Maybe teenagers are unlikely to have other conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. 

Both would suggest the young ones are not exposed to higher risks when in school compared to when among the community. 

 

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3 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

Aiya, sad truth is they dont want ppl to stop working to tend to their children and let the economy sink deeper into recession.

He's saying things to patronise the parents.

No. I'm all for letting schools continue on until its really no choice. 

Make all the plans. There's no need to test water for one day. U want to test? Test three days. 

The whole point is to not hinder the learning significantly of the weaker students in a closure of say a few weeks. 

Are there live stream or YouTube videos for teachers teaching stuff? Are these set up already?

There is math, English and Chinese website homework and e learning already. But they are supplementary. Lot of the worksheets and textbooks are still taught by the teacher.

The stronger students can just guess what's going on and continue. Are the video materials (minimum since its unlikely video conferencing would work with young kids) ready for a sustained few day period of no school? 

Older kids in sec school and above should be much more savvy with technology and can learn on Google docs or whatever. 

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8 minutes ago, Volvobrick said:

https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/global-covid-19-case-fatality-rates/

There are some useful statistics here. First there are proportionally much lesser confirmed cases among teenagers or younger ones. Don't know if they have very mild symptoms when infected, thus undetected, or the virus don't like their immune system and can't get a foothold. 

Second the mortality rate is much much lower compared to older people. Maybe teenagers are unlikely to have other conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. 

Both would suggest the young ones are not exposed to higher risks when in school compared to when among the community. 

 

Should we be taking such risks? Nobody will know if this is true for sure.

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14 minutes ago, Watwheels said:

Should we be taking such risks? Nobody will know if this is true for sure.

I don't know. I cannot decide for other kids as I no ministar. But I will continue to let my kid attend school at this point in time. My view may change if there are school clusters with students infecting one another. 

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Turbocharged
3 hours ago, Somewhat1975 said:

MOE, pls make up ur mind. Is school safe for our kids or not safe for kids? If it is safe, what is the point for home learning and cancelling CCA?  If it is not safe, why don’t you close the schools?

Pls make a decision based on science, not this kind of hedging strategy to cover ur ass.

 

It's the same policy as "You don't need to wear a mask if you are healthy"

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Another half-farked half-baked measure. This has become a hallmark of them.

Heng already said this is a storm, and not merely a rainy day, but the existing approach is machiam bringing a umbrella with 3 to 5 holes on the panel, and patching holes along the way when the person under the umbrella complains about getting wet.

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