* Public schools have been urged to inform parents of need to provide computer for each student

In preparation for the reopening of schools early September, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education has issued directives to all public schools across the nation to adopt e-learning as an essential method of teaching for the upcoming academic year.

This will apply to both distance learning and face-to-face classes, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the directives, all public schools have been urged to inform parents of the need to provide a computer for each student. Whichever device is chosen, it will need to meet the following specifications, as a minimum:

Operating system: Windows 10 (Version 1809 or later), or Mac OS X10.13 or later; CPU speed: 1GHz; memory: 512MB; hard disk space: 5GB; Internet connection: fixed Internet connection with a minimum of 2Mbps/high speed broadband; browser: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Safari, Firefox; high-speed broadband; Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome; fixed Internet connection with a minimum of 4Mbps without camera; and fixed Internet connection with a minimum of 6Mbps with camera.

Schools are required to educate parents about how to verify their usernames and passwords in order to follow up on their students' learning over online platforms. In case of any technical issues, parents should call the ministry-dedicated hotline at 155.