Safety key to new academic year

To provide a safe and healthy environment in schools, the Ministry of Education unveiled plans as it completed preparations to receive students on September 19 in the new academic year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The plan envisages total closure of schools and adopting e-learning in the event of Covid-19 outbreak in any school.

“Schools can take a decision to close them if a student is diagnosed with coronavirus infection and students of those schools will return to remote learning platforms”, the ministry said.

Student learning assessment programme, student affairs regulations, online platforms and training for teachers are part of the strategy. These plans, which come in line with Covid-19 protocols prepared in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, have been approved by Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed al Shaibaniyah, Minister of Education, said a statement from the ministry on Wednesday.

“Teaching, supervisory and administrative bodies, information technology staff and parents, in cooperation with the health sector, have an active role in the successful operation of schools in the new academic year’’, the statement said.

The academic year will be a mix of direct education for grades 7 to 11 and blended learning for lower classes. Some schools will have 100 per cent attendance with eight classes a day. Under blended learning, schools will run with 50 per cent attendance with not more than 20 students in one section for grades 1 to 6 students.