• Students who have had close contact to a confirmed Covid-19 case will receive a seven-day health risk warning instead
• Students and staff who are currently placed in quarantine, or have received leave of absence and approved absence can return to school for lessons
• This is provided that they are well and have a negative antigen rapid test result on the day that they go to school

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Education (MOE) will no longer issue leave of absence and approved absence for primary and secondary schools, including special education schools, junior colleges and the Millennia Institute, in line with new protocols from the health authorities.

Instead, students who have had close contact to a confirmed Covid-19 case will receive a seven-day health risk warning.

In its latest update to Covid-19 precautionary measures for schools and institutes of higher learning on Sunday (Oct 10), MOE said this means that students and staff who are currently placed in quarantine, or have received leave of absence and approved absence can return to school for lessons.

This is provided that they are well and have a negative antigen rapid test (ART) result on the day that they go to school, which is in step with Protocol 3 of the simplified national posture against Covid-19 announced on Saturday.

Institutes of higher learning will also follow protocols that are aligned with those from the Health Ministry (MOH), the statement added.

NEW MEASURES AT A GLANCE

• For confirmed Covid-19 cases, students and staff are not allowed to attend school or campus until the end of the isolation order

• For cases on stay-home notice, they are also not allowed to return to school or campus until the notice expires

• Those who receive health risk warnings from MOH are allowed to return to school or campus after the first negative ART self-test. They have to get a negative ART result daily for the next seven days before leaving home. If the Day 7 test is negative, there is no further need for tests after that

UPDATED EXAMINATION ARRANGEMENTS

MOE in a joint statement with the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (Seab) said that candidates who are issued with a health risk warning will be permitted to sit for the national year-end examinations, including the science practical exams.

They are also allowed to take public transport to and from their examination venue, the statement said.

This is so long as they inform schools of their intention to sit for exams, have a negative ART result on the first day of their health risk warning as well as on the day of their exams, prior to leaving home.

They must also show a picture of their ART negative result to invigilators, said the joint statement.

“Strict safe management measures will be in place at the examination venues for candidates on health risk warnings. These include being seated in separate rooms, venues or laboratories from other candidates; and a 3m spacing exam-style seating for the written examinations,” the statement added.

For candidates on medical leave, they can sit for the examinations, too, if they have fully recovered, and must also take a self-swab ART at home and show a picture of their negative test result to invigilators.

They must place their identification, such as their NRIC, next to the ART result in the photograph.

Those who are confirmed with Covid-19 or are placed on stay-home notice will continue to be barred from sitting for the exams. Covid-19 positive candidates who were on the home recovery programme can sit for the exams only after they have been discharged.

These measures apply to the 2021 national year-end written and science practical examinations and will take effect from Oct 11.

As previously announced, candidates who miss any national examination papers with valid reasons, including due to Covid-19-related reasons, can apply for special consideration, said the statement.

Private candidates may approach Seab to apply for special consideration.

This means that a grade will be assessed on each case’s merit and awarded based on data about the candidate such as their performance in other papers for the affected subject.