*Blended learning system to continue *Teaching, admin staff to work full time

The revised school attendance rate of 30% in schools across the country comes into effect on Sunday, in line with a circular issued by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) recently.

The circular was issued to the directors of public and private schools and kindergartens on the amendment of school hours for students and working hours for teaching and administrative staff after the mid-term leave of the second semester. The step has been taken in public interest to preserve students’ health and safety, and follows procedures in place to address the Covid-19 pandemic in co-operation and co-ordination with the Ministry of Public Health, QNA reported.

According to the circular, the MoEHE has set student attendance at 30% of the approved capacity of a school building, with the continuation of the blended learning system and the continued commitment to applying all approved Covid-19 precautionary measures.

The circular also includes many controls and guidelines for public and private schools and kindergartens, including the commitment to keep the working hours for the teaching and administrative staff at 100%, among others.

The regulations for private schools include determining the percentage of actual attendance in the building by the school or kindergarten in proportion to the needs of each class, with an emphasis on adherence to 30% of the approved capacity of the building, and with a maximum of 15 students per classroom. There should be social distancing of not less than 1.5m between students.

The Ministry also affirmed that the distance learning system will continue to be applied in private schools on days when students do not come to the school building, according to the schedules planned by the school or private kindergarten, stressing the necessity of daily monitoring of attendance and absence on the NSIS system.

 
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