Minister of Education Tayseer Nuaimi stressed Monday that no decision has been taken yet on the reopening of schools and resumption of in-class education in the second semester.

In a statement to Petra, the minister said that the resumption of direct education depends on arriving at a stable epidemiological situation that allows for the return of students to classrooms and ensures they and academic staff are protected.

"It is premature to address this issue now. We are still about a month and a half from the beginning of the new semester," Nuaimi told Petra, adding that any plan to return to schools will be gradual and according to a health protocol should the epidemiological situation so allow.

He explained that no "vision or scenario" was discussed with the Epidemiological Committee regarding scenarios for returning to in-class education in the second semester, and that no "statement or suggestion" was issued by the ministry in this regard.