Private schools are not obliged to return second-semester tuition fees following class suspension due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, said Tarek Shawki, Minister of Education and Technical Education.
In a televised phone interview on Sunday, Shawki said that every school has different rules while contracting with parents. He added that the ministry will consider this issue after August, when it expects the fallout due to the virus will have eased.
Shawki said that finding solutions to the issue is difficult, and needs extensive study and negotiations to satisfy all parties involved.
He has, however, approved moves to disburse the bonus given to teachers during exams, before May. Shawki said, in an official statement, that this decision comes as a ministry contribution to support teachers during the difficult circumstances the country is facing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this month, schools nationwide were closed for two weeks as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Final year exams for the second semester have been cancelled, with students instead being asked to prepare and submit online research papers for every course taken.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has announced that the academic semester at universities will resume once the suspension is lifted. The ministry said that mid-term exams have been cancelled, but that final exams will start on 20 May.
