RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has postponed starting in-person classes for girl and boy students under the age of 12 years. "The in-person classes for students of elementary schools and kindergartens, scheduled to begin on Oct. 31, has been postponed until the completion of scientific studies related to the epidemiological risks of this category so as to ensure their safety as well as the safety of their families," said the spokesman of the Public Education on Tuesday. The spokesman said that the Ministry of Education will continue its efforts to provide distance education for this age group through the Madrasati platform for the elementary level and the Rawdati platform for the kindergarten level. He said that there has been an integration of efforts between the ministries of education and health to continue regular in-person classes for those students who received two doses of vaccine against coronavirus in the intermediate and secondary phases of public education. The precautionary measures and health protocols approved by the Public Health Authority (Weqaya) will be applied strictly in order to ensure the protection and safety of male and female students, the spokesman added. In-person classes for students of the intermediate and secondary levels of public education in the public, private and foreign schools as well as for students of universities and technical and vocational education institutes across the Kingdom started on Aug. 29 in the beginning of the new academic year. Only those students who received two doses of vaccine are allowed to attend the in-person education. The Ministry of Education announced earlier that in-person classes for students of elementary schools and kindergartens will be linked either to achieving herd immunity by receiving two doses of vaccine by 70 percent of the Saudi population or on Oct. 30, 2021, whichever comes first.
