NEW updates to learning procedures across educational institutions have been announced by Education Minister Dr Mohammed Mubarak Juma.
Under the revised measures, students and parents will be given the option to choose between distance learning and in-person attendance, as part of ongoing precautionary efforts and plans to ensure educational continuity.
The decision applies to all public and private schools, as well as higher education institutions.
It builds on earlier measures that allowed nurseries and kindergartens to resume operations on a voluntary basis, alongside optional attendance for students with disabilities and the introduction of flexible assessment systems for learners pursuing international certificates.
Dr Juma said the updated framework was designed to ‘ensure the continuity of the educational process throughout the current academic year while maintaining the necessary flexibility for students and parents’.
Under the new directive, parents of students in government schools across all grade levels can now choose between continuing with distance learning or sending their children back to classrooms.
School administrations and teachers will contact families this week to determine their preferred option and provide detailed guidance.
Government schools will begin receiving students opting for in-person classes from next Sunday.
Private school administrations have been granted discretion to decide whether to continue with distance learning or resume in-person classes, depending on their circumstances and operational readiness.
Schools choosing to return to classroom teaching must inform the relevant department at the ministry of the proposed dates for resumption.
Higher education institutions have been given the option to fully resume in-person classes or adopt a hybrid model combining classroom and remote learning, based on academic priorities and course requirements.
A key condition is the mandatory resumption of all practical training in laboratories, workshops and training
placements in both public and private sector institutions, particularly for students nearing graduation.
The Higher Education Council will issue detailed guidance to universities and colleges through its General Secretariat to ensure clarity in implementation.
In his capacity as the council’s board of trustees chairman, Dr Juma said specialised working groups had been ‘diligently studying, developing and approving educational policies suited to the current exceptional circumstances, achieving the necessary flexibility while taking into account the needs of students and parents’.
He stressed that the aim was to guarantee the continuation of academic achievement ‘without the slightest interruption’.
The minister affirmed that the ministry and the council would continue evaluating educational processes, taking decisions and adopting policies as needed in response to developments.
He also expressed appreciation to members of the educational and administrative bodies for their dedication and professionalism, describing their efforts as the fundamental reason the kingdom’s education system continues to function efficiently despite exceptional circumstances.
“Detailed instructions will be provided to ensure a smooth transition for students, parents and educators, regardless of the learning option selected,” said Dr Juma.
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