The Education Ministry announced that most Thai schools would reopen both fully and partially on Monday, November 1.
Moreover, authorities have rolled out guidelines set that schools, their staff, and students must follow in order to resume on-site classes or hybrid in-situ/online teaching as expected.
All schools must undergo and pass the “Thai Stop Covid Plus” assessment, also known as the TSC+ assessment, and report follow-up assessments through the MOECOVID platform, the ministry said.
Under the new guidelines, schools in dark red and red provinces must have inoculated 85% of all teachers and other staff members with at least two Covid-19 vaccine doses. In lower-risk areas, at least 85% of schools’ staff must have received at least one shot in order to reopen.
The ministry also said that all teachers and staff members in dark red provinces would be required to undergo frequent health assessments after classes resume.
No vaccination requirements have been issued for students in any province. However, officials have urged them and their parents to get vaccinated against Covid-19 for their own safety.
Also, the ministry explained that students must comply with several regulations, including mask-wearing, maintaining social distancing, and using sanitizer or washing their hands regularly.
Schools must ensure that there are no more than 25 students in each classroom, where special screening spaces must also be designated for goods delivery or for parents to wait for their children. Besides, students must sit 1.5 meters apart and cannot mingle with people from different classes.
According to Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong, these guidelines follow the sandbox’s safety zone school principle, the basic DMHT-RC, and other complementary safety measures.
Schools must strictly adhere to the “Thai Stop Covid Plus” assessments and regularly clean all their spaces, especially contact points and air conditioners, the minister stated.
Over 10,000 schools have applied for permission to reopen with hybrid or 100% on-site teaching from Monday. The Basic Education Commission Office has also started compiling a list with all schools that want to resume classes.
