Doha: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) has intensified its monitoring efforts to ensure schools implement COVID-19 preventive and precautionary measures ahead of midterm exams for the second semester. The exams for students from Grades 1 to 11 will begin on February 24.
“Inspection teams from the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) have intensified monitoring in schools to ensure the implementation of COVID-19 measures,” said Adviser to the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Mohamad Al Bashri.
Speaking on a Qatar Radio programme yesterday, Al Bashri assured parents that the school environment is safer than outside.
“The upcoming exams will be held following the COVID-19 measures and protocol to ensure the safety of students, teaching staff, and management teams,” said Al Bashri.
He said that the necessary changes were made in the exam schedule as per the current situation, and it will suit all grades of students.
“As per the arrangement, 15 students in a classroom and 60 students in gym hall will be allowed as maximum to ensure the social distancing,” said Al Bashri.
He said two days rest between two papers have approved so the students can revise their lessons properly before sitting for their exams.
“The examination of the students of all grades will be completed before the midterm vacation, which begins on March 14,” said Al Bashri.
As per the protocol in place, the classroom should be closed immediately if any positive case or suspected case of COVID-19 infection is detected.
Responding to a question about parents’ concerns for their children’s safety, Al Bashri said: “Parents get worried when they receive the text message about the closure of classes in any school. These messages are following the set protocols and doesn’t mean everyone is infected.”
He said that the news about infection cases in schools published by social media sites created panic among the parents. However, there is no need to worry.
Al Bashri stated that the Ministry is following a strict protocol. If the rate of infections in schools reaches five percent, the schools should be closed.
“The COVID-19 tests are being conducted daily in schools. As per the statistics, the infection rate of COVID-19 in schools in the previous semester was 0.07 percent,” said Al Bashri.
He stressed that the recorded infection rate was less than one percent in the current semester, which eases any worry concerning a spike in cases.
