News item | 18-12-2021 | 19:30
From Monday, December 20, 2021 to January 9, 2022, schools in secondary (special) education, senior secondary vocational education and universities of applied sciences and universities will be closed. This decision has already been taken for schools in primary education, where the existing agreements continue to apply. Pupils and students in a vulnerable position and exam students are allowed to physically go to school. There are also a few exceptions.
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The closure of the schools is part of a broad package of measures to slow down the spread of the omikron variant of the corona virus.
Primary and secondary education
The same exceptions apply to schools as during last year’s lockdown around the Christmas holidays. The following rules specifically apply to primary and secondary education:
- Students in a vulnerable position and students who have to take school exams are allowed to physically go to school next week. In primary education, this also applies to pupils whose parents have a crucial profession.
- Primary and secondary schools must provide emergency shelter from Tuesday 21 December, they can use the Monday before to organize it.
- School exams for (pre-)exam students must continue.
- Practical education can also be given next week. If schools get it organised, this will also apply to distance learning and lessons for exam students next week.
- In the school buildings, the corona measures that have applied until now, such as mouth caps in the hallways from group 6 at primary school, will continue to apply.
MBO and higher education
The following rules apply to MBO institutions, colleges and universities:
- Students in a vulnerable position (including MBO levels 1 and 2) and students who have to take interim and final examinations are allowed to physically visit the educational institution next week.
- Exams and exams in MBO and higher education must continue.
- Practical education can also be given next week. If MBO institutions, colleges and universities get it organised, this will also apply to distance learning next week.
- Students who are allowed to physically come to the institution, keep 1.5 meters away from each other where possible. This also applies to teaching staff.
- Libraries of educational institutions remain open to students.
reopening
The basic principle is that education can reopen after the Christmas holidays, on January 10, 2022. The cabinet will make a decision on this by 3 January at the latest. If physical education is not yet possible, distance learning will have to be given. We ask schools to prepare for this to be sure. As soon as it is justified, the cabinet wants to reopen education, because this is very important for the development of children and young people.
School care
Out-of-school care locations (BSOs) will be closed from December 21 to January 9. This is an extension of the previous decision to close BSOs between 20 and 24 December. Emergency care remains possible for children of parents from crucial professions and vulnerable children. Childcare locations, for children from 0 to 4 years old, will remain open. Parents who make use of the BSO and who continue to pay their invoice in full during the closure, receive a contribution of their own contribution up to the maximum hourly rate.
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