Bahrain’s school timings during Ramadan are reasonable and among the shortest in the region, a senior Cabinet minister said yesterday.
He made the remarks after MPs confronted him over the government’s rejection of a parliamentary proposal to start the school day at 9am during the holy month.
Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Minister Ghanim Al Buainain said flexible and shorter school timings were already in place during Ramadan, with classes beginning at 8am for all levels and ending at 12.10pm for primary, 12.55pm for intermediate and 1.25pm for secondary.
The minister added that private schools and kindergartens already had shorter classes for the holy month.
“Bus timings for government schools have also been changed accordingly,” Mr Buainain, who has been deputised to reply on behalf of the Cabinet, said.
Meanwhile, in another response to a proposal to double the monthly anti-inflation allowance for the holy month, the minister said the government had already increased the annual grant for needy families and those suffering from disabilities prior to Ramadan.
A proposal to defer loans for two months without interest or administrative charges for Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr was also rejected, with officials stating that banks were already offering such facilities.
Meanwhile, MPs unanimously approved an urgent proposal to renovate and protect the 100-year-old Al Farareeh (Happiness) Mosque in Sanad.
The proposal by five legislators led by area MP Eman Shuwaiter will be now reviewed by the Cabinet.
“This mosque has been forgotten and when we enquired about it, we were told that it has no deeds,” said Ms Shuwaiter. “It is running on diesel for electricity, and water is brought in using a tanker,” she added.
Acting Parliament speaker Abdulnabi Salman urged the Jaffari Waqf (Endowment) Directorate to address the issue, highlighting the historic value of the mosque.
MPs unanimously approved an urgent proposal to issue a statement on the remarkable recovery of a Bahraini sickle cell disease (SCD) patient, who underwent the CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy using bone marrow transplantation technology at the Royal Medical Services-Bahrain Oncology Centre.
Amjad Al Mahari, 24, became the world’s first SCD patient outside the US to successfully complete the treatment with Casgevy.
The statement, which will be issued by Mr Salman on behalf of MPs, would also focus on the commitment of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to medical progress, innovation and creativity.
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