Several private schools in Kuwait have informed parents that following the end of New Year holidays, school attendance will be conducted online through e-learning for seven day from Sunday 9 January.
The initiative in this regard on the part of private school management comes following the absence of guidelines on this matter from the Council of Ministers, which postponed taking decisions on the issue because the Corona Emergency Committee could not meet during the last Council meeting.
Private schools are reported to have obtained the necessary permissions from the Ministry of Education to go-ahead with their online learning initiative, especially given that some expatriate teachers in private schools who traveled during the holidays will have to abide by the prescribed home quarantine period of at least 72 hours on their return to Kuwait.
However, head of the Pediatric Emergency Unit at Al-Adan Hospital, Dr. Marzouq Al-Azmi, has called for keeping schools open, and continuing in-person education for students. He added that rather than return to e-learning, schools should enforce application of precautionary health measures and ensure fewer students in each class.
He pointed out that a return to studying online will have severe, negative and psychological impact on students, especially children, as the closure will be disastrous for them, and this has been confirmed by many studies. Dr. Al-Azmi also noted that international organizations, including UNICEF, have warned against closing schools because of the impact it will have on children, calling it “disastrous”.
These organizations have stressed that schools must be the last place to be closed as part of any stringent restrictions.
He also added that according to studies, the ‘Omicron’ variant of the COVID-19 virus is considered less severe and less dangerous for children in terms of the possibility of hospitalization or complications.
