Covid-19, Crisis, Education and Science, Estonia

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Estonian minister: We hope to allow kids to resume schoolwork in small groups from May 15

BC, Tallinn, 09.04.2020.Print version
Appearing on the "Aktuaalne kaamera" news program of public ETV television, Estonian Minister of Education and Research Mailis Reps expressed hope that schoolwork will be resumed in smaller groups from May 15, informed LETA/BNS.

The minister said she foremost hopes to allow small study groups to visit museums and hiking trails and engage in other creative work while accompanied by teachers.


Reps said in the studio interview that there is sadly no hope that all children will be able to go to school at the same time after the school holidays, on May 4, but there are plans to allow home schooling to be phased out from May 15.


According to the minister, starting from May 15, study groups of about ten could be allowed, which means that larger classes should be divided into three. It is up to the teachers to decide who to invite to school -- these could include students, who need a more individual approach, consultations or need to have interviews regarding their progress with parents.


Reps admitted that homeschooling will likely continue partially from May 15 onward, too, but for the most part she would still like to get children out of their homes. In particular, the minister said she hopes that smaller study groups will be able to visit museums and hiking trails, that is do extra-curricular creative work, which is always done with classes at the end of the school year.

The government will discuss options for ending homeschooling on Thursday.


Reps acknowledged that schools want reassurance in the form of specific dates so as to make plans, but added that if May 15 is confirmed at the government meeting, there would still be a clause stating that if it is clear in early May that pandemic figures are not going down and emergency conditions cannot be loosened from May 15, there can be no phasing out of homeschooling either.






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