Skopje, 18 August 2021 (MIA) — The Union of High School Students at an online meeting with Education Minister Mila Carovska on Wednesday welcomed the governmental decision to reopen schools in the 2021-22 school year for in-person learning, according to a press release from the Ministry of Education and Science. They believe in-person instruction is in the best interest of high schoolers in terms of their education, socialization, and mental health, the release adds. “We are happy with the decision,” union president Luka Pavikjevikj said, adding that high school students wanted schools to remain open even last year. “We hope all of us will follow health protection protocols at school and stay in person as long as possible.” Minister Carovska and the students went over Covid-19 protocols for high schools and talked about taking additional measures to better protect students, teachers and parents. She said students were some of the most important partners of the Ministry of Education and Science in creating educational policies as well as health protection guidelines. “I’m really glad we’ll start the new school year in-person, because our country has kept schools closed the longest,” Carovska said. According to the Coordination Crisis Headquarters, she added, conditions for in-person instruction had been met and the government made the decision official on Tuesday. The education minister urged highschoolers and their teachers to be consistent in following health protection guidelines and protocols so schools can stay open longer. If the epidemiological situation deteriorates, the Ministry of Education and Science notes in its press release, two other scenarios are possible. One is for students to attend either online or in-person classes — as was the case in the 2020-21 school year — and the other is for schools to introduce hybrid learning. In the latter scenario, students would be in classrooms only part of the time, with groups alternating weekly between online and in-person instruction. mr/