Thousands of students return to school after a year-long hiatus

The reopening was allowed after thorough evaluations by epidemiological teams and the establishment of new changes to school day and the number of students allowed in a single classroom to further curb the spread of Coronavirus.

A source tells Libyan Express that out of a total of 72 schools, 44 have reopened to students in Tripol, the remaining 28 schools will require further inspection and preparation to reopen in the upcoming weeks.

The return to schools was delayed recently as a result of a recommendation by the Higher Scientific Advisory Committee to further postpone reopening of educational institutes for another three weeks until they are fully equipped to deal with the influx of students and implement precautionary measures against the spread of the virus.

In a recent announcement, the Undersecretary for General Education, Adel Jumaa, said that 2,415 schools were approved to reopen, consisting of 2001 public schools, 402 private schools, 10 private schools, and 2 international schools. All of which make up for 68% of all Libya’s educational institutes.

Heads of municipalities were alerted to the importance of reevaluating the schools every week and following any reports and notes from school staffs and epidemiological teams to resolve any issues that may arise as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of students and educators alike.

Students attending schools that have yet to be approved for reopening will be moved to ones that have been evaluated and given the green light to open to attend at a different time than other students not to overcrowd classes and risk a high spread of the virus while still ensuring they receive the education they are entitled to.

The new school day will begin at 8:30 in the morning and end at 11:00 AM and the first five minutes of every day will be used to raise student awareness of precautionary measures needed to ensure their safety, the safety of their families and peers the coronavirus pandemic.