The Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE) has reported that the percentage of pupils who have received a Covid-19 vaccine in 22 public schools in the UAE has reached 80 per cent.
The establishment has stressed that there has been a significant increase in the number of students being vaccinated since the beginning of the current academic year.
The ESE explained today that the schools that have had 80 per cent of their pupils vaccinated against Covid-19 include six schools in Abu Dhabi, which are Al Zahir School for Basic Education Cycle III – girls, Al-Falah School, Al-Qu’a School, Al-Zaydiyah School for Girls, Marin Bint Sultan School, and Mubazzarah Al-Khadra School. In Dubai there are 3 schools, including Al Rashidiya School for Girls for Secondary Education, Hamdan Bin Rashid School for Secondary Education – for boys, and Rashid bin Saeed Secondary School – for boys.
The list also includes five schools in Sharjah, one school in Ajman, three schools in Fujairah and four schools in Ras Al Khaimah.
All students aged 16 and above must be fully vaccinated to attend physical learning in the UAE, according to the Ministry of Education (MoE). Unvaccinated pupils without a medical exemption cannot be allowed at the school campuses.
The MoE had also announced earlier that all school staff and teachers must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to return to campuses for the new academic year.
Authorities also noted that vaccination is mandatory for anyone entering school facilities. This means, besides students and teachers, parents visiting the premises should have been vaccinated. Only those not eligible to get the vaccines are exempted from the requirement, provided they are carrying a certificate of exemption issued by the authorities.
A number of vaccinated centres had been established across the country to provide vaccination for students and school workers.
UAE authorities and doctors have always urged residents to get their children fully vaccinated with both doses of the jab, stressing that it is completely safe to do so.
Although the MoE and the Ministry of Health and Prevention had made vaccination for children from 3-15 years of age optional and not mandatory, doctors believe that vaccinating children will stave off parents’ anxieties during outings and allow them to spend quality time with their kids.
Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) earlier reported that private schools in the emirate will be tiered based on student vaccination rates. Schools with more students vaccinated will be able to gradually relax measures, including reduced social distancing requirements, relaxed mask-wearing protocols, increased classroom and school transport capacity, and a return to extra-curricular activities, in-school events and field trips.
The four tiers are: ‘Orange’ for schools with less than 50 per cent of students vaccinated, ‘Yellow’ for schools with 50-60 per cent of students vaccinated, ‘Green’ for schools with 65-84 per cent of students vaccinated and ‘Blue’ for schools with 85 per cent and above students vaccinated.
© Khaleej Times
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