KUWAIT CITY: The Ministry of Education has developed proposals for the safe resumption of school from the beginning of the year 2021/2022, reports Al-Rai daily. According to an educational source, the ministry’s first master plan “Plan A” focuses on the resumption of schools at full capacity and with all students, teachers, and educational and administrative staff members. It was not implemented due to the health situation and was rejected by the health authorities for some reason.

The ministry’s “Plan B” focuses on dividing the school hours by applying a blended home-and-school education system. As per this plan, the classes will be divided into two – learning in school and e-learning. This will be carried out in a manner to ensure the number of students does not exceed 12 in each class. The source explained that the ministry’s Public Education Sector is working on implementing Plan A from the beginning of the new academic year. It has embarked on preparations with the distribution of tasks to the technical teams and assigned sectors and departments concerned with following up on all requests related to school preparation.

There are no problems in this aspect, especially since most service contracts are valid. Everything depends on the developments in the health situation, the picture of which will crystallize more accurately and clearly in mid-August or early September at the latest. Many foreign schools are demanding a full resumption of their schools at the beginning of the next academic year, as they have been equipped to receive their students, and educational and administrative teams in accordance with the health requirements.

The proposal for the resumption of Arab schools focuses on dividing the shifts into two with a student density of more than 28 students per class. The same applies to the Indian, Pakistani, Filipino and Iranian schools with the number of students in each class exceeding the aforementioned number, as the number of students in each classroom in some of these schools exceeds 40. The source highlighted the crisis of shortage of teachers in private schools, and its impact on the launch of formal education. He revealed that about 700 teachers are stuck in India but will return soon in batches from early August. The source stressed at the same time that all proposals, plans and scenarios circulating in the ministry are subject to the approval of the Ministry of Health and the Council of Ministers depending on the situation prevailing at the time./agencies