The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has decided to continue with blended learning and increased the attendance rate in public, private and preschools to 50% of their capacity from the existing 42%.
This was announced Tuesday as the schools are set to reopen from next week.
Students will attend schools as per the weekly rotating schedule in each school, the MoEHE has explained in a statement. Attendance is compulsory during the second term, which starts on January 3 for public schools. Private school students will attend their classes according to the academic calendar of each school, with January 10 being the last start date.
All schools and preschools are required to arrange for implementing the 50% rotational on-site school attendance. Accordingly, 50% of the registered students in the school will attend in-person classes in the first week and then study remotely by attending recorded lessons and live sessions the following week. The other 50% of students will attend in the second week of term two after they have already studied remotely in the first week.
The MoEHE will continuously observe and monitor the attendance and absence policy on a regular basis. All schools should limit class size to 15 students. Desks must be kept within a safe distance of 1.5m apart, and students must wear face masks regularly depending on the academic stage.
Schools will organise the entry and exit of students to schools' buildings to avoid overcrowding and maintain physical distancing. Students with chronic diseases, as supported by an approved medical report, are exempted from in-person attendance, and can attend their lessons remotely.
All teachers and administrative staff must attend full-time in schools and should strictly observe the precautionary measures and fully co-operate with the authorities concerned if any Covid-19 cases are confirmed or suspected. Strict measures and legal actions will be taken against any school in violation of the precautionary measures.
Students in specialised, technical, special needs and schools in remote locations, as well as private schools and preschools with low numbers, must attend in full capacity (100%) daily. Schools, however, must split them into small groups of up to 15 students in each classroom, and a safe distance of 1.5m between students must be observed.
With prior approval of the Private Schools Affairs Department at MoEHE, private schools and preschools can apply the double-shift system daily to cover the required schooling hours. They should ensure that the attendance rate does not exceed 50% of the school capacity per shift, whether in the classrooms or the entire school. All the facility surfaces must be sterilised properly during the intervals between shifts.
Schools will provide students with the rotational attendance schedules, which demonstrate the days of in-person attendance and those of distance learning classes for each academic stage.
The MoEHE places the health and safety of students, teachers, and administrative staff at the top of its priorities. It co-operates with the local authorities concerned, led by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and health of all students, given that their physical and mental health is a top priority in the educational process.
The MoEHE has emphasised that increase of the attendance rate to 50% is in the best interest of students and facilitate their gradual return to the school environment, and is in co-ordination with the MoPH as well as Covid-19 indicators.
