The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) has published a circular to the emirate's private school directors highlighting new back-to-school procedures.

In line with the authority's judgment to guarantee the well-being and safety of students and employees of educational institutions, the circular specified that the back-to-school procedures for the 2021-2022 academic year require all employees of educational establishments and students over the age of 12, presenting negative PCR test results.

Additionally, SPEA necessitated educational establishment employees be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, except those who can prove to exempt them from being vaccinated, granted they present a weekly negative PCR test result.

New employees from overseas who are unvaccinated will be exempted from the vaccination conditions to enter their workplace. However, they must get vaccinated within two months from the arrival date and present a weekly negative PCR test in the meantime.

Students are not required to be vaccinated for the time being. The circular remarked that they only need to provide a negative PCR test result at the start of the school year. Nevertheless, it recommended that parents vaccinate their children to support the UAE's efforts to contain the pandemic.

WAM