Updated 8.20am

Children returned to class in a few schools on Monday, the first time they had done so since COVID-19 forced their closure in March.

A small number of private schools stuck to their plans to reopen as planned, while others said their own plans had been disrupted by the government’s decision to postpone the reopening of state schools at the eleventh hour.

At San Anton School, the scene was one of well-organised procedures, with parents and school vans dropping off the children at the school grounds, where pupils dropped off by parents had their temperature taken. Those who used the vans had their temperature taken before boarding.

The pupils - from the Early Years and Junior sections - were quickly divided into small groups as they went inside after using sanitisers.

All adults and children appeared to be wearing masks or visors.  

The school uploaded pictures on its Facebook page showing COVID-19 precautions in the classrooms, where desks have been moved some distance away from each other and screens set up.

A classroom adapted for COVID-19 at San Anton School.

Most schools had been set to welcome pupils on Wednesday, with teachers returning on Monday. However, on Friday, following talks with the Malta Union of Teachers, the government announced it was delaying the start of the scholastic year by a week.

The move came after the teachers’ union complained that schools were not yet ready to welcome students, especially as the number of new COVID-19 cases continued to spike and reach record highs in recent weeks. Church schools have also decided to delay the start of school by a week.

Most teachers will still be heading back to school on Monday in preparation for the upcoming year.

The last-minute decision, however, did not go down well with independent schools, which said they were ready to reopen this week after spending months preparing for the children’s return.

Teachers from these schools have complained that their school was forced to review its decision at the last minute despite preparations having been under way for months.

“We are ready for our children. We are prepared and we are safe,” one teacher said.

Lessons at San Andrea will be held online during the first week

They had been running against the clock to make it in time for the beginning of school and had even set timetables accordingly but, all of a sudden, the goalposts changed and had to be redrafted, they noted.

At least two schools, San Anton School and St Catherine’s High School, have opted to forge ahead with reopening this week, saying all health and safety measures are in place. 

According to the San Anton head, teachers are adamant they return this week, so much so that they all wrote to urge the management team to consider going ahead with its plans.

St Catherine High School is going ahead with its own plans.

Similarly, St Catherine’s High will also be reopening as planned, after staff unanimously agreed to welcome students back, in a staggered way.

St Michael’s School will also have students back this week, though, instead of all pupils returning to class tomorrow, the process will be staggered along the week with different age-groups starting on different days.

Meanwhile, other independent schools, like San Andrea School, have opted to start the year this week anyway but lessons will be held online during the first week. Children will then start attending school from October 5.

Schools were shut in March when the first COVID-19 cases were detected. They remained closed until the end of the scholastic year.

Since then, the government said it is crucial for students to receive an education in schools, despite unions’ calls for teaching to be carried out online as the number of new infections continued to increase.