All private and public schools will open on November 1, said a senior Ministry of Education official on Thursday.
Speaking at the press conference of the Supreme Committtee, the Minister of Education, Dr Madiha Ahmed Al Shaibani, said: “School hours in the Sultanate will range in between three to five hours.”
She also elaborated that the daily school hours will be between 3 hours in low-density schools, four hours for medium density schools and five hours in high-density schools. “School buses will operate at 50% capacity,” he said.
She also said that that primary school students (Class 1 to 4) do not need to wear masks, as recommended by the World Health Organization and the ministry will provide hand sanitizer and thermometer.
“The Ministry has prepared a health protocol to implement the precautions in schools, which include physical spacing, wearing masks, washing hands, and spacing inside school buses in addition to adopting the school hours system, not classes,” she added.
The Minister of Education also said: “In the event that the guardian does not want his child to attend school, the Ministry has set a protocol and special conditions for cases that are allowed to study only remotely.”
