Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, MP

Universities throughout the country will resume classes next  Monday 27 , April 2020, while primary and secondary schools will begin classes,  on  Monday 4 May on a trial basis.

Prime Minister, Hon. James Marape, announced the tentative arrangements at the coronavirus disease (covid-19) daily media briefing  on Monday 20 April, 2020,

“As a responsible government, leading a team of responsible leaders, Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers, we  feel it is our moral right to ensure  education is not sabotaged or sacrificed.

The government will trial   education next month, with specific protocols and guidelines to be issued by the Controller of the State of Emergency, David Manning, on the  behaviour and conduct  by  teachers  and students during the SOE.

“The Controller will issue  specific protocols, of which  teachers must conduct themselves  in this  manner, classes must be  run in this manner , students must conduct themselves in this manner in all our schools,  and we’ll see whether corona and presence of corona or spread of corona is stopped in this sort of  new way of study or educational protocol.

“ Month of May will be a  test case in which under  new guidelines  strict protocols and procedures,  we’ll allow  schools to come back into operation,” Mr Marape said.

The government will  then  examine and review the   exercise  at the end of May and should the trial become successful, then schools will continue to  operate    for the balance of the year.

Meantime, Mr Marape  has  also assured that    the higher education sector is restored   on Monday 27 April.

“It is because some programs that  are being offered , for instance ,at   the Medical School, and some special degree programs  at  the University of Technology, need to start school again on this date, so that  they could have enough academic  days or academic weeks to complete  study for this year,” Mr Marape said.