Khin Tharaphy Oo — With basic education schools set to reopen in July, education administrators in Arakan State plan to rely on sessions of schooling as one strategy for allowing as many students as possible to attend classes while observing 6-foot social distancing protocols in the COVID-19 era.

The sessions are necessary because Arakan State lacks the number of classrooms that would be needed to properly arrange for schooling with 6-feet distancing in place, and because there is no directive on the books ordering the construction of additional schooling facilities, according to the Arakan State Education Officer’s Office.

U Nay Win, deputy director of the office, said the government has directed respective township education officers to reopen schools in one session or in two sessions as needed, after the number of available classrooms and school furniture are calculated.

“There is no directive for the construction of any additional facilities,” he added.

In a typical academic year, basic education schools would open on June 1. The Basic Education Department has announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, only high schools will reopen on July 21, with primary schools to follow.

U San Shwe Thein, director of Mahapyinnyarkyaw private high school in Sittwe, said: “All private high schools in Arakan State plan to reopen by creating a social distance of 6 feet between students.”

“Our private school has made preparations for the preventive measures against COVID-19 to reopen it on July 21,” he added. “There will be preventive measures such as hand-washing and social distancing. Students in our school had to sit at a distance of 3 feet before. We will have to follow the government’s directive of 6 feet distancing.”

Daw Khin Zar Nyo Htwe, a parent from Sittwe, said: “Normally, there are around 60 students in a school classroom. As two students will be allowed to sit on a bench, I feel less worried about COVID-19. I will get my children to wear facemasks when they go to school. And I will give them hand gel.”

In its bid to maintain social distancing among students, the Ministry of Education plans to reopen basic education schools using one of five different scheduling patterns, depending on the needs of schools and their student populations on an individual basis; one would break classes up between first and second sessions on a daily basis, and another would see classrooms dedicated to a pair of classes on an every-other-week rotation.

Exam results for the basic education level will be issued on June 13, according to the Arakan State Education Officer’s Office.