The government is set to debate the possible reopening of schools for primary school children and kindergartens.

It comes after PM Janez Janša and teacher representatives showed the government and medical experts were not in favour of this. They argued this would be too risky, since the epidemiological situation has worsened after Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

However, Janša did mention a possibility of opting for a partial reopening, alternating half-classes and half-time schooling, without any mixing of students, under strict control, but that that would depend on schools themselves not the government.

Earlier, Education Minister Simona Kustec said that children in the first three years of primary school could return to school on 11 January.

Schools in Slovenia have been closed since the end of October.