KUWAIT: Kuwait hopes to have a return of students to schools by the start of the second semester if health officials approve of that scenario, a senior Education Ministry official hinted yesterday. Acting Education Ministry Undersecretary Faisal Al-Maqseed held a meeting with Assistant Undersecretary for Public Education Usama Al-Sultan, directors of all education zones and supervisors of all school subjects to discuss various issues.

Maqseed said the meeting concentrated on the importance of having a strategic plan to return to school, which coincides with the fifth stage of returning to normal life and is linked to the health situation, adding that this will depend on the approval of health authorities. Maqseed asked Sultan to form a committee chaired by him to prepare a full plan and present it next week so that it can be reviewed, adding that the return to school could be with the start of the second term.

Meanwhile, the education ministry said the meeting that was held yesterday was to discuss the return of students to schools whenever the Cabinet decides, after the availability of a COVID-19 vaccine, and in line with the fifth stage of return to normal life. The meeting did not discuss paper tests, which some recent reports had suggested that the ministry was trying to get approval to have them held in-class.

The education ministry said it is committed to what was mentioned in a health ministry letter dated Nov 10 and implementation of health protocols to control the spread of the coronavirus. The ministry said any decision concerning examinations for all school stages will only be in coordination with health authorities for the safety of all students and employees.