Egypt’s Education Ministry will block all students over 12 years old refusing to wear a facemask from entering schools, state-run Al-Ahram newspaper reported on Sunday and citing sources from within the ministry.
The sources said that the ministry sent a communique to educational directorates, departments and schools across the country that facemasks are mandatory for every student over 12 years of age.
The sources said that this comes in response to a decision made by the Coronavirus Crisis Management Committee meeting at the beginning of November.
In the event that the student does not commit to wearing a mask, a first warning is given, and if this non-compliance is repeated a second warning will issued.
The offending student will be forbidden to enter the school’s premises if they continue not to wear a mask, except after the presence of a guardian who will sign a written declaration on the student’s commitment to wear a facemask.
For students under 12 years old, the sources stated that the decision sent to schools advised that they wear face shields.
The Egyptian Ministry of Education in October issued several precautionary measures and 30 health-related recommendations for schools to follow during the 2020-2021 academic year to protect students from spreading and contracting the coronavirus.
