Schools reopen under strict health measures
Alshaheen News
(Petra) –– More than two million students headed to classrooms across the Kingdom Tuesday morning for the start of the academic year 2020/2021 with a strict health protocol in place after a six-month closure as part of precautionary measures to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 3,940 schools in cities and villages in the various governorates, 2,235 of which function under the rotation system and at least 36 apply the double-shift system to avoid congestion and accommodate rising numbers as an estimated 42,000 pupils have so far moved from private schools to public schools.
Education directors in the various governorates pledged adherence to health safety and prevention measures, including wearing masks and physical distancing, noting that schools have undergone maintenance and been provided with the necessities to start the new year.
“This is day one. We pin hopes on parents to educate their sons and daughters continually, and I am confident that the school principals, administrators and teachers are ready,” said Education Minister Tayseer Nuaimi as he attended the morning lineup at an Amman secondary school.
In Al-Salt Governorate west of Amman, 106 public and 52 private schools were supposed to welcome 47,000 pupils, but half of them attended due to the rotation and health instructions, according to education director Harun Rahahleh.
He told Petra during a visit to a secondary girls school that schools have switched to the odd-even rotation system in keeping with the health protocol, with each pupil allocated 1 square meter inside the classroom.
Rahahleh said textbooks will be distributed inside the classroom to avoid gathering as part of the health requirements and that the education directorate has drawn up a plan to spread awareness about the risks of and prevention from the pandemic and ways to curb infection. He said teams will be assigned to enforce the precautionary measures to ensure the students’ safety.
In Tafileh, about 120 public and private schools in the governorate have been sterilized and their facilities underwent the necessary maintenance as part of the health protocol before opening this morning, according to education director Lubna Hajjaj. She said the directorate will start new classes in public schools to accommodate pupils who moved from private schools.
In Aqaba, about 45,000 students headed to classrooms this morning, including 33,000 in 78 government schools and 12,000 in 55 private schools and kindergartens, while observing strict health procedures. Three schools ran the double-shift system to absorb the growing number of students.
“Schools may face a challenge in the first days of the year, which is expected, but things will settle down,” said the education minister, reiterating his concern for the health of the students and teachers.
Parents across the Kingdom hailed the health measures taken by the Ministry of Education to protect their children, and lauded the teachers for their efforts and commitment to teach in-person in the classroom under high health standards to safeguard pupils’ health.
