Saudi to reopen schools from Aug 29, students must be vaccinated

Riyadh: Ministry of Education of Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that schools in the country would reopen from August 29 and only vaccinated students will attend classes in person, as per a report by Arab News. In a press conference, the Minister of Education, Hamad Al Al-Sheikh, rolled out the details of how the schools will be run.

The minister began the conference reviewing the Kingdom's achievements since the pandemic breakout. He reassured parents, education staff and students that their safety is the government's top priority.

The minister said that as per the rules and regulations put forward by the Ministry of Health, students must be vaccinated to attend schools in person. So far, 93 per cent of students have received at least a dose of vaccine, and 37 per cent received both doses. 

Regarding university or higher-level students, 85 per cent received first jab and 59 per cent fully vaccinated. Students who are yet to receive jabs will remain at home, and their teachers will upload classes on the ministry-approved Madrasati platform.

Minister further said that 1 billion Saudi Riyal was spent on equipping schools to adapt to the pandemic situation, including precautionary health measures and necessary resources, to welcome students back to institutions.

If a student tests positive in a class, the whole class will be suspended for ten days, and for them, the mode of education will be turned to online, he said, and if two cases were confirmed in two different classes, the whole school would be transferred to online mode immediately. Uploading online lessons for isolating students will ensure the safety of everyone involved and their families, he said.

Regarding the elementary school students, their classes will not begin until October 30, or the Kingdom reaches herd immunity.