Schools are allowed to reopen on Feb 1 if the pandemic recedes and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) gives the green light, says the secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) Amporn Pinasa.
During an Obec executive meeting yesterday, Mr Amporn said the commission had instructed schools across the country to clean their premises and impose coronavirus-preventive measures ahead of their reopening, he said.
Obec was ready for school reopenings on Feb 1 if the CCSA approves, said Mr Amporn.
Obec offers five learning and teaching options for schools to choose from -- on site, on air, online, on demand and on hand -- depending on the specific situation each school finds itself in, he said.
It was okay for schools to send children back to class, particularly small children, to help lighten the load on working parents, said Mr Amporn.
Schools could decide for themselves whether to reopen for all students based on each province's Covid-19 restrictions, she said.
As for exams, Mr Amporn said Obec allowed schools to schedule tests themselves and use other types of assessment other than tests to measure students' performance.
The O-Net exam for Prathom 6 and Mathayom 3 students would be optional this year, Mr Amporn said.
However, he insisted students must take a learning assessment to pass to an upper grade.
Mathayom 6 students are still required to take the O-Net test scheduled for early April when the pandemic should subside, according to the Obec chief.
Previously, Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan said he would ask the CCSA to allow kindergarten and primary schools to open again on Feb 1, saying online learning alternatives were not proving to be adequate.