Tonga announces measures to minimise disruption to education in response to Covid-19

The Ministry of Education and other non-Government education systems in Tonga have agreed to several measures to combat the spread of coronavirus Covid-19 and minimize disruption to students learning.

The stakeholders met this week and discussed the global spread of coronavirus and the likelihood of Tongan people getting infected due to mass gathering.

A statement said the meeting agreed to postpone the 2020 Secondary Schools’ Intercollege Sports, which was planned to be held 21-24 April until after the National Examinations in November.

Starting Monday, 23 March all Government schools will add an extra hour to their timetable per day, finishing at 4:30pm instead of 3:30pm.

The additional 5 hours per week is to ensure that the curriculum is adequately covered and taught, well ahead of a possible school closure.

Parents are being notified of the intent of this extension of time, and the Ministry is asking for their understanding of the wish of the Ministry to minimise disruption to students’ learning in a possible closedown.

”For a possible school closure, home-schooling will become the norm. School work will be delivered to your homes through various channels of communications – internet, radio, TV, soft and/or hard-copies of relevant school resources. Your teachers will also be on standby, via email/phone/messages, to answer your queries about your learning. It is the Ministry’s wish that regardless of a possible school closure, your learning will continue through new modes of lessons delivery.”

 

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