World News

Czech schools, shops reopen after long COVID-19 shutdown

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Czech schools, libraries, zoos and some stores reopened on Monday after months of coronavirus closures in one of the world's worst-hit countries. A six-month state of emergency expired at midnight, lifting restrictions on movement…

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Malta: Primary students to return to school on Monday – PM (UPDATED)

PM Robert Abela said that Malta has been facing the pandemic for more than a year. Different times have required different decisions to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the…

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Czech government to start reopening schools from April 12

PRAGUE, April 6 (Reuters) - Schools in the Czech Republic will start reopening from April 12, starting with the first five years of elementary school, Czech Television reported on Tuesday.…

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Education a priority in lifting of restrictions – PM

Education will be government's priority, PM Abela revealed, indicating that schools will be among the first institutions to re-open as restrictions are gradually lifted. Prime Minister Robert Abela revealed that…

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Prof Charmaine Gauci hints at re-opening of schools

Health Superintendent Prof Charmaine Gauci today gave a strong hint that schools might re-open after the Easter holidays, saying that authorities have done all they could to allow school to…

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Malta Education Institutions closure Legal Notice published

Following the announcement of the closure of schools announced earlier this week, the government published the legal notice through which this will be enforced. The legal notice determines that the…

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Denmark to open more schools as epidemic eases

COPENHAGEN, March 9 (Reuters) - Denmark will allow more schools across the country to reopen and ease some restrictions on large shops in response to an improving situation in the…

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English children head back to school after two months of home learning

Millions of English children and teenagers headed back to school on Monday for the first time in two months, having endured their second extended stretch of home learning because of a strict national lockdown to slow the spread…

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The Conversation: Deciding on whether to close schools or not

Policymaking during a pandemic can be extremely challenging. Given that Covid-19 is a new disease and its global impacts are unprecedented, decisions must be made in a highly uncertain, complex,…

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Update – Fearne addresses parliament – Nurses want urgent Govt action – MUT pushes for shift to exclusive online teaching

Update 1805 - Health Minister Chris Fearne announced that there is the possibility of new restrictive measures in Malta, due to the recent spike in cases. Addressing parliament, the Deputy…

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Denmark will reopen schools for children next week – UPDATED

COPENHAGEN, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Denmark will take the first step towards easing its coronavirus lockdown next week, reopening schools for the youngest children, the Nordic country's government said on…

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Surge of student suicides pushes Las Vegas schools to reopen – NYT

New York Times carries a report about the impact of Covid-19 on the student life and how the pandemic has led to possibly an increase of student suicides in and…

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Moscow to reopen schools, but extends other COVID-19 restrictions by one week

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Moscow has extended all restrictions against COVID-19 until Jan. 21, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Thursday, with the exception of pupils returning to schools from Monday. Russia,…

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French scientific advisor: no need to close schools despite British virus variant

PARIS (Reuters) - There is no need to close schools in France but new restrictive measures must be taken to slow further coronavirus infections and in particular the spread of…

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Canada’s Ontario weighs keeping schools closed as 1 in 5 children test positive for COVID-19

TORONTO (Reuters) - Ontario, Canada's most populous province, is weighing an extension of school closures, as some 20% of the region's children under the age of 13 currently tested positive…

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Malta: MUT appeals for schools not to reopen; Health Superintendent replies

The MUT said it had been informed the Health Authorities have advised the Education Ministry that schools should not reopen. The MUT said in a statement the advice had been…

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Schools are safe, say PM Johnson as COVID-19 cases surge

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday schools were safe, and advised parents to send their children in, in areas where rules allow it, responding to…

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Schoolchildren can miss end of term to isolate before Christmas, says French PM

French schoolchildren will be allowed to skip classes and stay at home on Thursday and Friday if their families wish to self-isolate ahead of Christmas, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Tuesday.…

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Germany unveils ‘airing’ plan for schools to protect from Covid

The German Environment Agency (UBA) unveiled a four-page instruction manual for ventilation in schools, stating exactly when, why and how to air out classrooms "protect oneself from infectious particles." "Our…

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In Italy, fears of links between schools opening and surge in cases proved unfounded

Italy's Higher Health Institute (ISS) said Thursday that fears the reopening of Italy's schools last month would lead to a big increase in COVID-19 contagion have so far been unfounded.…

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Malta: Convent rooms converted into classrooms as Church schools prepare to reopen

A number of convents across the country have had rooms converted into classrooms as Malta’s 55 Church schools prepare to welcome 17,000 students for the next scholastic year in the…

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Nearly 3,000 classes in Spain forced to quarantine

The coronavirus has forced students of all ages from 2,852 classrooms across Spain to go into quarantine since the beginning of the school year, according to data provided by regional authorities…

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Malta: UPE to take action against MEDE over school reopening

The Union of Professional Educators Voice of the Workers, UPE is set to take action against the Ministry for Education and Employment, MEDE regarding the re-opening of schools. Last week…

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Controversy and fear as Italy’s schools finally reopen

After a six-month shutdown, the longest in Europe, Italy reopened most of its schools on Monday, testing the organisational skills of the government, the nerves of teachers and the self-control…

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Malta: Schools gearing up to the COVID-19 realities

Several schools are currently very busy making decisions and arrangements on how to handle the upcoming scholastic year. With the precautions required because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the main concerns…

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Italian head teachers press for all-clear certificate for pupils

The head of ANP, the Italian association of school head teachers, on Friday called on the government to make it obligatory for pupils returning from an absence of three days…

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Malta: UPE to launch industrial dispute over school reopening guidelines

The union of professional educators will be launching an industrial dispute over the publication of guidelines for the safe reopening of schools, noting that there are discrepancies between the document…

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Malta-24 News Briefing – Thursday 3rd September August 2020

Updated 1745 - News Portal Review TVM says 34 new cases of Covid-19 have been identified in Malta over the past 24 hours after 2,438 swab tests were carried out.…

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Re-opening of schools is Italy’s government priority

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said reopening schools on schedule on September 14 remained the government's priority. "It is our top priority", he said. The biggest high school in Verbania…

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Masks to be mandatory in Scottish secondary schools – Johnson ready to change decision and follow

Boris Johnson has hinted at a U-turn on guidance that face-coverings do not need to be worn by pupils in English schools, saying: “If we need to change the advice…

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UN warns of “generational catastrophe” due to school closures

UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres warned today that the world faces a “generational catastrophe” due to school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic and insisted said that getting students safely back…

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Nurseries, Kindergartens and Schools to close in two zones of France as death toll rose to 9 from 613 confirmed cases

Nurseries, kindergartens and schools in two areas worst affected by the coronavirus will be closed for two weeks starting Monday, French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced Friday as the death…

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Italian Education minister considering removing crucifixes from schools

Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti this week considered removing crucifixes from schoolrooms to underline their secular nature, sparking a huge row. "I believe in a secular school, I think that schools…

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Microsoft chooses 555 UK educators to lead innovation in the classroom

More than 500 educators from across the UK who use technology to help students learn have been named Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts. A total of 555 educators have been recognised…

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Education under fire in Central and Western Africa warns UNICEF report

A surge in “deliberate” attacks against students, teachers and schools in West and Central Africa has led to a tripling in school closures in the last year and left almost…

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Malta – End-of-Year benchmark exams taken at Year 6 to be replaced by informal exams

The end-of-year benchmark exams taken by Year 6 students around Malta will be discontinued and replaced by an assessment that could include an exam component. The recommendation is one of 25…

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Malta – Third of foreign children bullied at school – Times of Malta

One in every three foreign students experiences some form of bullying while at school. According to a study on the well-being of non-Maltese children, reported by today's Times of Malta 33…

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Florida teachers can now go to school armed

Florida's legislature passed a bill allowing teachers to carry guns in the classroom, expanding a programme launched after the deadly high school shooting in Parkland with the aim of preventing…

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France to invest €6 million in free breakfasts at public schools

A number of French public schools have begun serving free breakfast to students as part of a new government programme aimed at improving student performance by combatting hunger. French…

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Children around the world to skip school to demand action on climate change

Today, Friday 15th March, tens of thousands of students worldwide will be leaving class and taking to the streets to demand that elected officials act about climate change. The…

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Malta: Schools to open as usual

Schools in Malta will open as usual tomorrow. One News reports that following after consulting the department of Civil Protection and the Met Office, it was decided that the schools…

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Children should be banned from using their mobile phones (UK)

The Telegaph: Children should be banned from using their mobile phones at school, the culture secretary has said. Not content with merely barring them from being used in the classroom, Matt…

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