A student at Vogelweh Elementary School pays attention during a lesson in April 2020. (Russell Toof/U.S. Army)

Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription.

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Students at Defense Department schools in Germany will continue with remote learning until the end of January at earliest, education officials said Friday.

The first day back in the classroom will be Monday, Feb. 1, said Stephen Smith, spokesman for the Department of Defense Education Activity-Europe. Ankara Elementary/High School in Turkey will also extend remote learning until Feb. 1, he said.

Students enrolled in DODEA’s virtual learning program are not affected by the schedule change.

DODEA’s 34 schools in Germany transitioned to remote learning on Dec. 16, the first day that German schools were closed as the government tightened the country's coronavirus restrictions. Classes were set to resume on Jan. 19.

But the start date was pushed back after German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of Germany's 16 federal states announced Tuesday that the country's lockdown was being extended by three weeks, starting Jan. 11, as the host nation struggles to stop the spread of the coronavirus..

The date for resuming in-school learning at DODEA schools in Germany and Turkey remains fluid, Smith said. It could change, depending on local circumstances and host nation guidance.

svan.jennifer@stripes.com Twitter: @stripesktown