Students will have to continue to wear face masks in class, irrespective of whether they are vaccinated or not, under the newly released protocols for the return to schools later this month, Education Minister Justyne Caruana said on Tuesday.

She said that the decision to retain the measure was so not to discriminate against those who cannot get vaccinated.

The matter was only clarified after Caruana was asked by journalists after her explanation about the new protocols which will dictate how schools reopen - although journalists' questions were cut by the government's live broadcast to social media.

Most schools are set to open their doors for students on 28 September.

The protocols, Caruana said, are based around the concept that the best type of education is achieved in the classroom, however she did not exclude the use of virtual schooling where it is needed.

After being asked by The Malta Independent, Caruana said that sixth form student and University students will also be able to return to their classrooms - something which most will be doing for the first time since March 2020 after a full scholastic year of online learning.

One of the main changes to the protocols from last year is the reduction in the requirement of physical distancing in classrooms: Now owing to the vaccination programme, the physical distance between tables in Year 9 and above classes has gone down to one metre, while it will remain 1.5 metres for Year 8 classrooms downwards.

Further changes to the protocols will see more activities be permitted for students as well.

Practical laboratory sessions, fieldwork, Physical Education sessions, special social events such as birthdays will all be allowed as long as the principle of classroom bubbles is maintained, Caruana said.

Tuck shops will also be allowed to re-open, but they can only offer packaged goods.

Parents, for now, will not be allowed to attend school activities or events, but this is subject to change depending on the more global health measures announced by health authorities.

The shortened quarantine period - of 7 days rather than 14 - will also apply to those who are vaccinated.

Caruana said that talks are ongoing between tertiary educational institutions and the health authorities with a view of graduation ceremonies being allowed to take place.

Other protocols not mentioned in the explanation, Caruana said, will remain the same.

Caruana said that the protocol revisions had come after a wide consultation which had included unions, parents, independent schools, heads of schools, and tertiary education institutions.

MUT Reaction

The Malta Union of Teachers welcomed the revised protocols, although they noted that they had been published five days later than last year's protocols.  "One would have expected that since this was a matter of amending last year's protocols, things could have been hurried a bit more," they said.

The union said that it will analyse the new protocols so that any issues can be identified and solved immediately, but noted that educators need peace of mind so they can plan their work as soon as possible, especially given that they couldn't do this earlier because they didn't know what was going to happen.

PN Reaction

The Nationalist Party also welcomed the new protocols, even if, they said, they were announced late.

They said that given the minimal changes to the protocols, they could have been announced earlier hence giving teachers and students alike enough time to prepare for the scholastic year without any added stress.

The PN said that the measures announced were expected owing to the country's high vaccination levels, and appealed for vulnerable students to receive all the necessary support to safely integrate into the system.