Mandatory 10-day quarantine for Sharjah pupils and staff returning from abroad

The day of arrival will be considered the first day of the isolation period

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  Shatha Al Qadi, 15, is the only learner present in her Grade 10 class at Al Shola Private School

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  Covid-19 safety precautions are strictly followed for staff and learners

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  Classrooms remain largely empty across Sharjah as parents opt to continue distance learning in an era of education impacted by the rise of the Covid-19 pandemic. All pictures courtesy of Antonie Robertson / The National

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  The majority of pupils across Sharjah continue to learn from home.

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  Teachers must adapt to a new age of education serving those learning from classrooms and online.

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  In-person lessons are more popular among younger school pupils.

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  Sharjah classrooms were sparsely populated in the first week of the new term.

Sharjah pupils and school staff returning from abroad must self-isolate for 10 days before resuming in-person lessons.

Sharjah Private Education Authority said the date of arrival in the Emirates would be considered the first day of the quarantine period.

Schools are required to update the travel details of staff members on a daily education operations report, known as Tamam, as part of Covid-19 safety measures.

"We inform you of the mandatory application of a quarantine period of 10 days for all staff and pupils who chose the direct education option and are coming from travel," said a statement sent to schools by the emirate's private education regulator.

PCR tests are also mandatory for all staff as well as pupils aged 12 and over, with some schools testing pupils free of charge.

A number of private schools in the emirate resumed in-person classes on Sunday following the spring break, while others will welcome pupils back to classrooms on Sunday, April 18.

For some pupils, it will mark a return to in-person lessons for the first time in more than two months.

Sharjah authorities suspended face-to-face lessons at private schools and nurseries on February 14 due to a rise in Covid-19 cases at the time.

The switch to remote learning was initially due to last for two weeks, before being extended until the end of the spring term.

Parents have been given the option to choose either a blended learning model or online learning.

In blended learning, pupils attend classes in person on certain days and study online on other days.

Staff and pupils have adapted to the rise of remote learning since the start of the outbreak.

Schools across the country closed their doors in March of last year to control the spread of Covid-19.

Many pupils were permitted to go back to school for the start of the new school year at the end of August.