The Education Ministry today (May 19), issued to all schools, the guidelines to be followed for students who have tested positive for Covid-19 or those suspected of having the illness, who will be sitting external examinations.
The protocols come in the wake of a spike in Covid cases at schools in recent weeks, with many institutions reverting to online classes, as part of efforts to minimize spread of the disease.
The ministry has stressed that no student, being a suspected or confirmed Covid case should be denied the right to sit their exams.
The protocols indicate that affected students must not use public transportation; instead, parents must make arrangements for private transport to and from school.
It further indicated that affected students should be accommodated in separate isolation rooms; one for confirmed cases, the other for suspected cases; each with an assigned invigilator.
These isolation rooms should be well ventilated and the students in them, should not interact with each other.
All precautionary measures should be employed regarding sanitization, physical distancing, and wearing of PPEs.
This includes, ensuring that affected students and the monitoring staff wear a mask at all times.
Additionally, the hands of all persons must be sanitized before entering the isolation room and sanitizers placed on each students‘ desk for use throughout the exam.
Invigilators must sanitize hands after handling exam papers.
The isolation rooms must be cleaned thoroughly and disinfected, at the end of each exam session.
A school nurse should be available during the exam period.
The protocols outline that at the end of each exam, the affected students and staff, should immediately leave the school premises; exit times should be staggered to avoid mixing of the groups.
