Doha: Due to conditions related to coronavirus pandemic and the increase in number of Covid-19 cases in the community, Ministry of Education and Higher Education have decided to adopt distance learning and suspend attendance of all students in all public and private universities, schools and kindergartens in Qatar, as of Sunday, April 4, 2021.
“This decision comes after coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and pursuant to precautionary and preventive measures and measures required in the public interest and taking into account the health of students and staff Both teaching and administrative,” Ministry said.
“During the distance learning implementation, teachers will continue to attend schools. The final exams for all grades will be held in person at schools according to the scheduled dates. More procedures to be taken in this regard will be announced later,” Ministry added.
The Ministry emphasized that distance learning is an integral part of the educational process and academic achievement. Student’s attendance will be recorded in this learning model. It further called on the parents to closely follow up with the students' online attendance, cooperate with the schoolteachers and offer their children an appropriate educational environment at home.
The Ministry reiterated that the distance learning model, which was deployed last year in response to the pandemic, is an optimal choice for students to continue their academic achievement under the current health conditions. Building on the previous experience, the model has been improved suit the educational requirements and maximize its benefits to students.
The Ministry also said that all precautionary measures taken across the State schools have been efficient and effective, and ensured a safe environment for all students. The decision to return to distance learning, however, has been opted for in order to provide additional protection for the students following the rising number of Covid-19 cases across the community, which may lead to the risk of the virus outbreak in the educational environment.