Muscat: Following the decision to allow 100 per cent physical attendance, more students from classes 5 to 11 will be returning to schools for inperson education from Sunday.

A joint inspection team from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education has already conducted field visits to schools, to ensure that all precautionary measures against coronavirus infection are in place in accordance with the Supreme Committee’s directives. The decision to allow direct education for the academic year 2021-2022 was announced by the Supreme Committee tackling the Covid-19 situation in the Sultanate of Oman at its October 28 meeting.

Based on this, the Ministry of Education issued a decision No 230/2021 which stated, “all students of classes 5 to 11 in public and private schools in the Sultanate of Oman will start attending classes in person starting November 7, 2021”. According to the decision, the schools should put in place all the precautionary measures in accordance with the health protocol announced by the Supreme Committee.

The Supreme Committee also approved vaccination for children aged between 5 and 12 with effect from this month. Responding to the decision, Mubarak al Wahaibi, a parent said, “With let-up in the Covid-19 situation, it is a welcome step that children can attend classes for face to face education. Blended education was a blessing during the recent months”. Syed al Balushi, father of three school going children said that two of them have already been vaccinated.

“The younger one is only seven and as soon as vaccination starts for children of her age I will get her jabbed”, he said, welcoming the decision to allow in person education. He called on all parents to consider vaccination for their pupils as it the best way to beat the virus.