DILI, 23 july 2021 (TATOLI) – The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture (MESSK) informed that MESSK will reopen the teaching and learning activities of the universities in the country when the majority of the lecturers and students are fully vaccinated.
The Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Culture (MESSK), Longuinhos dos Santos said due to the spike of the Delta variant cases in the neighboring country Indonesia, lecturers, university faculty staff, and students need to be fully vaccinated before resuming the teaching and learning activities of the universities.
“Vaccination is the only to resume the universities’ teaching and learning activities in the country. I call on the rectors, dean of the faculties, chief of departments, lecturers, and students to accelerate the vaccination in each university. So that, when all the majority of the faculty staff and students are fully vaccinated, then we can reopen the activities of the universities,” Santos made the comments at UNITAL campus, in Dili, today.
He said MESSK has not issued a circulation letter to allow any university in the country to resume its teaching and learning process.
“In the near future, I will convoke a meeting with all rectors of all universities in the country to discuss what kind of appropriate strategies to be implemented to resume the teaching and learning process of the universities in the country,” said Santos.
He said currently a team of MESSK is conducting an observation to oversee the preparation of the universities on resuming the classes. Such as, if all the lecturers, faculty staff, and students are fully vaccinated then we can reopen the universities in the country.
“I call on universities to obey the COVID-19 regulations and practicing the health guidance recommended by the Ministry of Health and WHO. Such as, washing hands regularly and thoroughly, keep social distancing and wearing face masks all the time at campus,” added Santos.
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Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Rafy Belo
