Parents in Sharjah must be vaccinated or show PCR results to enter school premises

Newly appointed school staff have two months to get inoculated

Anyone unvaccinated 12 years or older must undergo weekly PCR tests to enter school buildings.

Any parent or family member dropping off or collecting children from school in Sharjah must either be fully vaccinated or present a negative PCR test from within 72 hours.

The new rule was announced on Saturday and came into effect immediately.

An email was sent to parents from schools informing them of the new requirements, which are to ensure the safety of the pupils and teachers.

The announcement was made following a statement issued by Sharjah Private Education Authority (Spea) on back to school procedures.

It said all visitors to schools, including parents, family members, maids and drivers, must be fully vaccinated.

If not, they must present a negative PCR test taken within the last 72 hours.

“We inform you that all visitors including parents are required to present a complete Covid-19 vaccination card [at least two doses], or a negative PCR test result valid for no longer than 72 hours in order to enter the school,” Spea’s statement read.

Shahrazad Hwarneh, principal of Al Estiqlal Private School in Sharjah, said the decision was taken to maintain the health and safety of all, but it will create a challenge.

“Parents who are currently visiting schools to register their children are told they can't enter because they didn’t have a PCR nor were they vaccinated,” she said.

“This happened with many parents today at my school and it must have happened at other schools too.”

Ms Hwarneh believes remote learning is not as effective when teaching pupils compared to when they are in school.

“For that purpose I’m trying to raise the awareness of my pupils, as well as parents, about the importance of the vaccine hoping it will encourage them to take it.”

In Sharjah, tests are mandatory for those aged 12 and older.

Employees were also instructed to get the vaccination to be allowed into schools.

Anyone exempt from vaccination must undergo weekly PCR tests.

New employees coming from abroad have been given a grace period of two months to be able to take both doses of the vaccine.

However, during that time they must present weekly PCR test results to enter the school premises.

Pupils below 12 are not required to have the vaccine to enter schools. Instead they must present a one-time negative PCR test result at the beginning of the academic year.

Back to school PCR testing: in pictures

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  Perla Mansour, 4, takes a saliva test before the start of the new school term. All photos: Victor Besa / The National

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  Mohammed Al Suwaidi gets a swab test in Abu Dhabi as part of the new back-to-school rules.

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  Many parents have taken their children to Biogenix Labs in Masdar City to take PCR or saliva tests.

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  The Mansour family from Egypt attended a clinic in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday to get their oldest child tested for Covid-19 before returning to school next week.

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  Health workers keep the mood cheery for young pupils getting tested.

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  Special queues have been sectioned off at clinics across Abu Dhabi for school pupils who need to get tested.

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  Khalifa Al Nahdi, 4, queues for a test.

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  Pupils will need to show a negative nasal PCR or saliva test result taken within 96 hours before they can return to in-person classes next week.

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  Health workers hold up some of the many samples taken from school pupils.

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  A young Abu Dhabi resident gives a saliva sample.

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  Mohammed Al Bisher, 6, takes a saliva test.

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  More than a million pupils will return to school in the UAE after the summer break.

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  Bumper-to-bumper traffic outside Biogenix Labs in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.

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  Parents take their children to Biogenix Labs in Masdar City to take PCR tests.