TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The next school year will start Sept. 1, two days later than originally planned, a teachers’ union said Thursday (June 24).

The postponement is intended to give schools more time to comprehensively disinfect because of the pandemic. The start date is for primary and secondary schools.

Since the government announced it was raising the COVID alert to Level 3, schools moved their classes online. Last year, the Ministry of Education (MOE) extended the February Lunar New Year holiday and postponed the start of the summer holidays by two weeks each in order to counter the pandemic.

The latest decision was reportedly the result of a meeting between the MOE, education groups such as teachers’ unions, parents associations, and representatives of county and city governments.

Officials also referred to the referendums scheduled for Aug. 28 on pork additives, nuclear energy, gas, and a referendum law, with the voting and ballot counting to be conducted mainly at schools. However, there have also been calls to postpone voting due to the COVID surge.