No plan for online classes in primary schools: State Minister

The government has no immediate plan to introduce online classes or shut primary schools despite the ongoing measles outbreak and energy constraints, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj said.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting several primary schools in the capital on Monday (April 6), he said the ministry is prioritising in-person learning and has not taken any final decision regarding school closures.

“We are not moving towards online classes at this stage. Our focus is to continue classroom-based education,” he said.

The state minister added that the government is preparing to roll out a series of updated and time-appropriate initiatives in the education sector during June–July.

His visits aim to assess ground-level conditions and readiness of schools ahead of these measures.

During the inspections, he interacted with school management committees, teachers, guardians and students, and reviewed issues including infrastructure, learning conditions, mid-day meal programmes and student health.

He said ensuring quality education alongside infrastructure development remains a key priority, while schools have been instructed to remain vigilant amid rising measles infections. However, authorities do not yet see a situation warranting closures.

Noting that online learning is less effective for primary-level students, he said classroom teaching will remain the preferred mode, with further decisions to be taken based on expert advice if the situation deteriorates.