The Ministry of Education has decided all students except for those who have been attending grade eight and 12 classes will pass to the next grade without sitting for examinations. The Ministry also announced that grade 12 students will take higher institution entrance exams online through the 1,500 schools that are in the process of being equipped for the examinations. Grade eight students will also take examinations after taking 45 days of crash courses when the coming academic year begins, according to Getahun Mekuria (PhD), minister of Education. All of the students that will pass to the next grade will take a month and a half of make-up classes in the coming academic year before they start taking the courses of the new academic year. The Ministry also announced both private and public schools can start registering students for the coming academic year starting from the last week of August. Private schools are also prohibited by the Ministry from making adjustments on school fees. All of the public and private schools are closed across the country as of mid-March with the main aim of containing the spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).