PCR tests for pupils as Sharjah schools begin to reopen on April 11

Private schools open this Sunday and ministry curriculum schools on April 18

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  Shatha Al Qadi, 15, is the only learner present in her Grade 10 class at Al Shola Private School on January 5. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Sharjah's Al Shola Private School has strong safety measures in place to protect pupils of all ages.

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  Class sizes at the school have been capped to 12 in line with social distancing measures.

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  A child during a lesson. Just 97 of 647 pupils in grades 9 to 12 opted to return to their seats at Al Shola Private School.

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  According to statistics from the school, 42 per cent pupils attend classes in school from grades 1 to 4, with this figure dropping to 28 per cent for grades 5 to 8.

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  Ibraheem Barakeh of Al Shola Schools Group says ongoing concerns over catching the virus are a key factor in the high number of pupils opting to learn online.

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  A teacher wears a face shield to stay safe.

Sharjah's private schools will reopen for in-person classes on April 11, authorities said on Monday.

The emirate's emergency, crisis and disaster management team and the Sharjah Private Education Authority announced that pupils would return to classrooms starting next Sunday, amid strict Covid-19 safety measures.

Pupils at state schools will resume face-to-face learning on April 18.

Parents can choose a blended-learning model or continue with online learning.

Pupils will be able to return to school after receiving a negative PCR test result.

On March 28, 74 public and private nurseries in Sharjah reopened for in-person classes.

Schools across most of the Northern Emirates switched to online learning in mid-February, following a rise in Covid-19 cases in the UAE.

At the time, all state schools and private schools and nurseries in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain were asked to resume distance learning.

At the end of February, Sharjah education authorities announced all schools and nurseries in the emirate would continue distance learning for the rest of the spring term.