Covid-19: UAE schools take steps to get students vaccinated ahead of September reopening

Abu Dhabi - Campuses are ready to welcome pupils back for face-to-face learning.

With new campus safety protocols laid down ahead of the September reopening, back-to-school preparations in Abu Dhabi have now shifted to ensuring students are vaccinated.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) on Monday released a raft of updated precautionary Covid safety policies for the new academic year, which included the vaccination requirement for everyone entering schools. This rule applies to all students aged 16 years and over, as well as school staff and visiting parents, among others.

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At GEMS United Indian School–Abu Dhabi (UIS), a smart portal is being used to collect vaccination data and remind students to get vaccinated. As for the staff, 99 per cent of UIS teachers have already completed their jabs, according to the school principal and CEO George Mathew.

At Abu Dhabi Indian School, several students aged 16 and above have already taken the jab. But since the Sinopharm shot is now available to kids as young as 3 years old, the school is boosting its drive to get more pupils vaccinated.

“We shall continue seeking for permission to have our students vaccinated at the school to make it easier for our parents,” said Neeraj Bhargava, principal of Abu Dhabi Indian School.

Besides the vaccination requirement, a number of other back-to-school policies and safety measures were laid down in the latest Adek announcement. Open play areas and canteens shall be reopened and physical education classes and extra-curricular programmes will resume, allowing face-to-face learners to return to some of the routines they had missed since the pandemic started.

Taking note of the new measures, schools have affirmed that they are ready and excited to welcome students back to campuses.

“Almost everything is ready at my school and we are just waiting to welcome students for the new school year,” Bhargava said.

“However, we can’t have all students at the campus at the same time because it’s a huge number. We shall continue with the blended learning model with in-class learning for two days and three days for e-learning when pupils return for face-to-face learning.” All the school staff have also been vaccinated and they are now looking to get a booster shot.