No need to panic: How UAE schools are raising awareness about coronavirus

Dubai - 'There's no harm in sending kids to school'

A parent of two teens, Noura Amin, said: “I’m worried about sending my kids to school and want us as a family to avoid crowded places overall. But, the authorities have said there’s no need to panic. It’s still wise to take precaution, so we’ll be wearing the masks and using plenty of hand sanitiser.”Anita Singh, vice-principal of Abu Dhabi’s Shining Star International School, said they’ve put up posters explaining what the Coronavirus is, how one can get infected and health and safety tips.“There’s no need to panic,” Singh told Khaleej Times. “Schools are taking the necessary steps and they are completely safe. There’s no harm in sending kids to school. Even before they detected a case in the UAE, we sent information about the Coronavirus to our parents from the school’s clinic. We told them about the precautions and to take their children to the doctor if they’re sick and not to send them to school.“In the morning assembly, we’ve been talking about washing hands regularly, keeping mouth covered when coughing or sneezing and hands covered when dealing with edible items.Principal of the Bright Riders School in Abu Dhabi, Rishikesh Padegaonkar, said parents “shouldn’t cause panic and should contact their schools if there is concern”.

“There is no problem in schools. We have all our school teachers’ names displayed on our school portal and the parents can get in touch with them easily,” he said. “Health and safety is part of our curriculum. In all of the assemblies, we’ve been making them aware of the Coronavirus. Our counsellors are doing presentations on precautions.”Meanwhile, the Global Indian International School Dubai (GIISD), is also raising awareness against the virus.“With the first news of the outbreak, the school nurse did awareness campaign for all GIIS Dubai staff — how to reduce the risk of Coronavirus infection,” head of primary at GIISD Alka Yadav said. “We spoke with the students about the importance of cleaning hands with soap and water, covering nose and mouth with tissue or elbow flex when coughing and sneezing, and avoiding contact with people with flu-like symptoms. With the latest development today, we have shared awareness with parents as well and re-emphasised the point with the students in classes.”sarwat@khaleejtimes.com

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