HELSINKI, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced on Wednesday schools will reopen on May 14, however, only pupils in the basic nine grades will return school. Secondary level classes will remain in distant teaching.
Schools were closed in Finland on March 18 to prevent the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Finnish school year ends at the end of May and thus the resumption will last for two weeks. School year begins in Finland in mid-August. No end-of-the-term festivities will be arranged this year due to the COVID-19 impact.
Marin said the government will discuss the overall COVID-19 restriction situation on Sunday.
The plan to resume school classroom work was criticized by the National Trade Union of Education, however.
Defending the decision, Education Minister Li Andersson noted that in many other European countries, the dismantling of restrictions has also started with the schools.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Finland has confirmed 4,906 cases of COVID-19, among which 166 are new cases. The death toll has risen to 206, according to the National Institute for Health and Welfare. Enditem
