The Egyptian government on Wednesday denied claims that schools have been suspended in the northern Sinai region for security reasons.
A source at the education ministry stressed that the school year has been progressing regularly in northern Sinai since the beginning of the week.
In addition, the first hour of the school day has been dedicated to discussing the role of the police, it revealed.
The ministry denied all claims that schools had been suspended in the area, saying the rumors on the contrary are aimed at creating confusion among parents and students.
A total of 591 schools are located in northern Sinai.
Authorities had in February 2018 ordered the suspension of classes as security forces kicked off their comprehensive Sinai operation to eradicate terrorist and extremist cells in the peninsula. The operation is ongoing.
Egypt denies closure of schools in northern Sinai region
Pupils gather in the courtyard of the Mahaba school In Ezbet al-Nakhl, a shanty town north of the Egyptian capital Cairo on October 13, 2018. - In a Cairo slum the poorest of Egypt's poor who eke out a living as scavenging through garbage have been struggling to keep their children in school and lead them out of their misery. Mahaba, love in Arabic, was set up 30 years ago in Ezbet al-Nakhl by French nun Sister Emannuelle whom the Vatican once compared to Mother Teresa for her charitable work with slum dwellers. (Photo by Mohamed el-Shahed / AFP)