Masks will be mandatory for primary students from the second cycle upwards. There were reactions from parents and teachers last week as some year-1 pupils had to wear masks, while others did not - this has now been clarified.
The same will apply to wraparound care (Maisons Relais). Certain mask types will not be made mandatory.
There will also be more testing, with everyone who was in quarantine requiring a test to return to school. One must at least spend six days in quarantine, however, before taking the test. If an individual does not take a test, the quarantine period is extended by seven days.
Staff and pupils will be invited more frequently to participate in the Large-Scale Testing programme. The Ministry is also working to source more rapid antigen tests, to be rolled out from March onwards, so they can react faster to potential outbreaks.
If infections were to flare up again in the Maisons Relais, these could be forced to close. Parents would be able to request family leave in this case.
Further reading: Parents and teachers react as some year-1 pupils have to wear masks, others not
Pupils in secondary school will return to alternate A/B week schooling, with the exception of those in their first year of secondary.
Exam schedules and study material for final years will be adapted, with written exams reduced in all subjects, and oral exams in those subjects that require a lot of preparation. This should amount to a reduction of roughly 15% overall. Some chapters or topics will be left out, or if that is not possible, alternative questions could be set. The deadlines to finalise exam papers will be adjusted accordingly.
Final year students will still have face-to-face learning.
