MoEHE amends working hours for private and public schools in Qatar

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) had issued a circular to the directors of public and private schools and kindergartens in Qatar, highlighting alterations in working hours for teachers, administrative staff members, and students.

The announcement had been made in cooperation and coordination with the Ministry of Public Health while aiming to meet the interests of the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the circular, MoEHE had determined student attendance at 30 percent of the approved capacity of the school building, as of Sunday 21, 2021.

The initiative aims to provide a safe and healthy school environment while ensuring the continuation of integrated education systems in the State of Qatar.

Ministry of Education issued a circular on the amendment of school hours for students and working hours for teaching and administrative staff. According to the circular, the Ministry has set student attendance at 30%. #QNAhttps://t.co/WiyYTw7Ox8https://t.co/E7zljo9Mjx pic.twitter.com/oFNltggEA0

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) March 18, 2021

Firstly, the regulations for government schools aim to keep the working hours for the teaching and administrative staff at a rate of 100 percent in the school building. Moreover, the continuation of blended learning for students with an attendance rate of 30 percent in the school building must be maintained so that each school can prepare a school schedule commensurate with its absorptive capacity,

It also highlighted the attendance of students to direct broadcast lessons according to the approved school schedule during the days of their distance learning, and the application of full time for students of village schools with low density (by 100 percent), as well as the application of full time for students of specialized schools of low density (by 100 percent), taking into account the approved preventive measures.

Furthermore, public schools will also send text messages to parents about their children’s time in the school building, and they will distribute students into groups so that one class accommodates a maximum of 15 students. They will use open spaces in the school building and convert them into classes to achieve social distancing of no less than 1.5 meters between each student and another.

Schools will continue to apply all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of students and employees in the school building and to adhere to previous circulars issued by the Ministry’s security and safety department regarding canceling the morning queue and group activities such as trips, camps, and celebrations and converting them into virtual whenever possible.

School administrations shall calculate the absence of students and notify them and their parents of the importance of coming to the school and following up direct broadcast lessons, applying the attendance and absence policy, and making statistics periodically to manage school affairs.

The Ministry also stressed the importance of continuing to apply the same school schedule, as working hours start at 7:15 am and end at 12:30 pm. The school schedule shall include 30 lessons per week, six classes a day, so that the class time is 45 minutes, with five minutes as a break between classes. The Ministry also called for ensuring the organization of remedial lessons to help students in basic subjects after school hours from 12:30 pm till 2:00 pm, and that student enrollment in them is optional.

Secondly, the regulations for private schools determined that the attendance for schools and kindergarten should be in proportion to the needs of each class and in adherence with the approved 20 percent capacity of the building.

Each classroom will be restricted to a total of 15 students and will be required to adhere to the social distancing measures (1.5 meters) while in class. Distance learning systems will continue to be applied in private schools on days when students do not come to the school building, according to the schedules planned by the school or private kindergarten, stressing the necessity of daily monitoring of attendance and absence on the NSIS system.

Each private school or kindergarten has the authority to determine the daily hours for blended learning, provided that it is not less than four hours per day for the school, and two hours per day for kindergarten, as well as the possibility of applying the two-shift system. The Ministry stressed the need to continue the school calendar in the private school or kindergarten as approved during this year.

Thirdly, students who are sick with chronic illnesses and are in possession of a medical certificate will continue to be excluded, provided that the student’s attendance is remote and attends the second-semester exams physically.  

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Cover Image Credit and Source: The Peninsula