By KELIN DILLON

Over 30 million Mexican students resumed their public education on Monday, Jan. 11, following the end of the Christmas holidays.

Most states in the country will be taking part in the third installment of the Secretariat of Public Education’s (SEP) virtual Learn-at-Home program.

The Learn-at-Home initiative is a collaboration between the Mexican government and various national television stations that broadcast easily-accessible, educational programs throughout the country in an effort to continue youth education at home without violating covid safety protocols.

The SEP said that in-person classes are only allowed in states that have achieved a green light on the country’s traffic light contagion ranking system, indicating a low risk for spread of the virus.

Any state determined to be of higher risk in the yellow, orange or red territory, where 30 of the Mexican states currently remain, will only be allowed to begin classes virtually.

Only Campeche and Chiapas had reached the green light category as of Jan. 11, allowing for the first in-person public education in the country since Mexican children were pulled out of classes at the coronavirus pandemic’s start last March.

The SEP established new protocols for schools allowing face-to-face classes, including maintaining social distancing standards, maximizing the use of open spaces, the mandatory use of masks and establishing a vaccination priority for teachers.

If any student or teacher tests positive for covid-19 in a school, that school will be shut down and classes will once again be held online.

Those who do not wish to participate in the physical return to class are welcome to resume classes virtually as part of the Learn-at-Home initiative with the rest of the country instead.

…Jan. 12, 2021