The school year could continue in September, says Minister

Havana (RHC)-- If the epidemiological conditions and the progress of the designed vaccination scheme permit, the school year 2020-2021 could continue, in an in-person manner, in  September, and culminate on January 22, 2022,  Ena Elsa Velázquez Cobiella, Minister of Education, announced in the televised program Mesa Redonda on Monday.

Although the health context varies among provinces and even within the same region, the continuity of the school period may be brought forward to these dates in some territories, according to scenarios that would be qualified as favorable, less favorable, and critical.

It would be the territory's responsibility to evaluate the condition that would best suit their situation, with 19 weeks for the culmination of studies corresponding to the 2020-2021 school year.

She explained that the favorable scenario includes those territories that have not been forced to stop the course and could conclude it in July . As an example, he mentioned Las Tunas, with 80% of the curriculum developed. In that case, municipalities in Cienfuegos and Holguín, and schools, mainly rural, in Santiago de Cuba, where more than 300 centers, most of them primary schools, have remained in operation.

She said that, for them, the 2021-2022 school year would begin in September, with a regular calendar.

Velazquez explained that other territories not so affected by the pandemic (less favorable) could give continuity to the current course between June and July; however, most of the provinces, with an unfavorable epidemiological scenario, will begin their in-person course in September and would culminate on January 22, 2022.