Back-to-school guidelines

The Ministry of Education has prepared guidelines for public and private educational institutions on the safe return to in-person instruction, in coordination with the national team commissioned to follow up the re-opening of educational institutions in the Kingdom.

This follows the directives issued by the Government Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. The guidelines detail health precautions, safety procedures and contingency plans in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and to cover aspects related to transportation, sanitisation, minimum social-distancing requirements, and “student-classroom bubbles”.

The guidelines also cover learning requirements related to curricula, assessment and blended-learning scenarios. The Education Ministry stressed on the formation of an internal administrative committee in each school to implement the guidelines, and to strengthen communication with parents and health authorities in order to ensure a safe return to in-person instruction.

The 50-page document is now available on the Ministry of Education’s website. The guidelines also refer readers to a number of additional resources, including training packages for school staff. These guidelines will be continuously updated to keep pace with the evolving COVID-19 situation. All suggestions from educational institutions and parents are welcomed via e-mail at institutions@moe.bh or parents@moe.bh.