Sharjah issues guidelines for private schools

Our Correspondent

Students, teachers and staff of private schools in Sharjah must test negative for COVID-19 before physically joining school in the new term, which begins on August 30. This was conveyed in the newly published ‘Guidelines for Reopening Private Schools in Sharjah’ of the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA).

The 29-page document with 179 point guidelines says, “In collaboration with the health authorities in Sharjah, all students, teachers, and staff of all private schools will be tested for COVID-19 in advance of physically joining the school.”
“This very important initiative, which is undertaken by the UAE Government to ensure the safety of students and school staff, might continue at different times during the remainder of the academic year in which regular testing of students, teachers and other staff members will be conducted. SPEA will communicate with all private schools any further related updates from the concerned health authorities…”

“School principals should be aware of the COVID-19 test schedule, which would impact their operational reopening plan. This might result in teachers, staff and students joining their schools in batches”, it notes.

In case teachers and staff have travelled abroad during the summer break, they should be back in the UAE 14 days before the start of the academic year, it says.

“Travel declaration forms will be required for all those who travel (in the last 14 days); these must be submitted to the school prior to travel occurring and re-confirmed before joining school.”

Also, parents have to download the Al Hosn App “to ensure traceability in the event of infection”.

Meanwhile, each private school in Sharjah must create a ‘COVID-19 Task Force’, which is a designated team of school health and safety officers, “responsible for all the precautionary measures for the schools’ reopening. The Task Force must use this guide to conduct a risk assessment and ensure that the school is ready for reopening”.

“Additional instructions or an updated version of this document will be shared with schools accordingly”, SPEA says.
Student desks in the classrooms will be set apart by 1.5m and each room will have a maximum capacity based on the space available. “In some situations, particularly in lower grades, staff will be expected to move between classes, as opposed to students moving to receive lessons,” the document says. Meanwhile, spacing in the canteen will be 2m, to be used in staggered break times to reduce crowding.

“Students below six years (below Grade 1) are not required to wear masks. Students of Grade 1 and above, teachers and school staff members are required to bring a minimum of two masks each to school per day, for their personal use. Schools will hold an available stock of spare masks to supplement any student’s or visitor’s need.”

The school bus capacity should not exceed 50 per cent, and safe physical distances must be maintained by placing stickers on seats. The temperature of each student will be taken before they enter the bus.

“Student will not be allowed to enter the bus if fever is apparent. Parents will have to wait with students until the bus departs,” the guidelines say.

“Schools must avoid lines or crowds of parents in textbooks and school uniform distribution processes. Such activities must be planned after the school day and when students have left the school premises.”

Group activities such as school trips, celebrations, sports days, and student camps are cancelled.