Schools need to resume teaching next week, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he visited Lida District, Grodno Oblast on 17 April, BelTA has learned.
“We need to take a careful look at education, schools and so on. Children need to return to schools. We need to restart this process in a slow and calm manner. There are no problems in the village (well, we need to understand that farmers are busy planting crops, and there is no one to take care of children). There are no problems there. The season of acute respiratory viral infections has already ended,” the head of state said.
“Where schools can open, let them do it. If we are talking about city schools, then they will slowly engage children into the educational process by the end of the week after Easter. We need to start the educational process gradually. Some will learn remotely that week, some will return to school... We need to restart this process,” the Belarusian leader said.
School holidays in Belarus were extended twice, for a week each time. In early April Education Minister Igor Karpenko updated the head of state on the situation after polls were held among students' parents. After that a decision was taken to extend spring holidays until 11 April inclusively. Later they were extended for one more week.
“Taking into account the prevailing epidemiological situation, the seasonal rise in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, other infections and the need to stabilize the situation, the head of state supported the proposal of the Education Ministry and the Healthcare Ministry to extend the spring break in general secondary education institutions until 18 April,” the President Administration commented on the decision.
The fourth term will last from 20 April till 30 May. The Education Ministry had to adjust the curricula and calendar-themed planning for each subject by means of organizing supportive and stimulating activities.