In the wake of the heavy rain alert issued in Peru, the
Ministry of Education (Minedu) has decided to postpone the start of the school year to March 20 in Metropolitan Lima and across Lima region.
The aim is to protect the physical and emotional integrity of millions of children and adolescents attending school in said jurisdictions.
In a statement, the Minedu reported that the Education sector's authorities will be permanently monitoring the conditions of educational facilities, in coordination with authorities from the
National Institute for Civil Defense (Indeci), the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima, and local governments.
Moreover, it recommends that private schools remain vigilant and adopt the necessary measures to protect the integrity of students.
The government agency explains that this postponement of school classes does not apply to the High Performance School (COAR) in Lima.
The COAR school shall operate in accordance with the instructions provided in the event of emergency operations, considering that students have already begun attending classes at said educational institution.
Also in Callao
For its part, the Regional Government of Callao decided to postpone the start of school classes at public schools across this region to March 20 this year, with the aim of safeguarding the integrity of students and all members of the educational community.
In a statement, it provides that this measure was resolved in coordination with the Regional Office of Education, Culture and Sports, Callao's Regional Directorate of Education (DREC), and the Local Educational Management Unit (UGEL) in Ventanilla, in the presence of weather events hitting the Peruvian coast.
"The rain could trigger landslides and avalanches. Besides, children have to climb stairs, which are usually dry, but if this water runs down such stairs, they will slip and fall. We know this is possible, so we have to be prepared," he explained.
(END) LIT/RMB
Published: 3/12/2023