School plans to ensure the mental and psychological health of students and teachers

Precautionary measures are the main concerns of schools in the first week

• Inspection tours of schools to ensure the implementation of the precautionary requirements.

  Photography: Eric Arazas

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Private schools in Abu Dhabi intensified their procedures to follow up on students 'health and psychology during the first academic week, by stressing social distancing measures, sterilization, and measuring students' temperatures three times a day, in addition to organizing psychological support sessions to remove any fears they have.

The Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed that its compliance team conducts inspection rounds on schools daily to ensure the implementation of policies and guidelines, to ensure the safety of students and workers in the educational field.

In detail, administrators and teachers in private schools affirmed that their schools implement strict programs to monitor the health status of students, maintain spacing, wear masks, and clean and sterilize all parts of the school building, indicating that the student’s temperature is measured three times a day: the first upon entering the school, and the second in the middle of the day Scholastic, and last at the end of the school day.

The teachers and administrators: Hazem Yahya, Peter Sami, Walaa Hamdi, and Ruqaya Wasfi, stated that the precautionary measures implemented by their schools are divided into five axes, including: entry, receiving and transporting students and visiting, thermal examination, physical distancing procedures, sterilization of surfaces and common places, hand washing basins and bathrooms. In addition to the school transportation hub.

And they confirmed the use of thermometers that do not require touching the body, in addition to placing instructional signs that take into account social distancing distances in school corridors and squares.

They pointed out that schools have canceled the "Teachers 'Meeting" event that they implement annually for students' families at the beginning of the school year, and that they intend to implement it virtually.

They said the event will be devoted to general information that can be shared with everyone, such as curriculum, assessment, daily routines and homework.

Administrators Dalia Hafez, Mona Ahmed, and Ayman Mutassim stated that their schools had installed thermal scanners in the interior areas, near the main entrances, to facilitate safe entry for students to the school and prevent overcrowding.

It also divided students, teaching and administrative staff, and school personnel into four large groups, and prohibited mixing completely between groups, to ensure the safety of students and the educational and administrative staff in the event of any injury.

They indicated that daily classes are organized throughout the week, during direct and distance education periods, to take care of the students ’mental health, and make them aware of the" Covid-19 "virus and its risks, misconceptions about it, and how they can limit its spread by practicing social distancing and wearing protective equipment. Personal, and maintain cleanliness.

For its part, the Department of Education and Knowledge stressed the need for private schools to take what is necessary to maintain the mental and mental health of students and workers, in order to help them cope with symptoms of anxiety and trauma, and to develop a plan based on individual risk assessment models in cooperation with school counselors, indicating the possibility of suffering Staff and students, after returning to school, from some symptoms due to quarantine or social isolation, or the loss of some close relatives.

The department allowed schools to seek the help of mentors to support students and teachers during the post-quarantine phase, in addition to determining the necessary resources that suit different ages, to deal with mental health problems, noting the need for counselors and health and safety support staff to have the necessary knowledge on how to deal with students of determination. And an understanding of their unusual circumstances, especially since they may be more emotionally weak compared to other students, which negatively affects their mental health.

The department added: “In the event that the counselors do not have sufficient training, knowledge and experience to deal with and communicate with students of determination, they can seek the help of faculty members who are familiar with the needs of these students, without touching their privacy.

And if there is something that prevents obtaining this support from within the school, because of the students ’privacy, counselors should seek advice from specialists while preserving the student’s confidentiality.

Isolation rooms

The Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed the implementation of daily rounds to ensure that schools adhere to the requirements of the department for reopening to ensure the safety of students, in addition to distributing posters and leaflets to private schools in Abu Dhabi, to place them in prominent places that include numbers for informing students' families and employees of any complaints or observations related to health procedures And safety.

The department indicated that its compliance team carries out inspection tours on private schools to ensure that there is a nurse licensed by the Department of Health and an isolation room, and that school clinics are equipped with preventive equipment and to develop an updated list of names of school workers and students, who suffer from high-risk medical conditions, such as High blood pressure, heart disease, immune deficiency, asthma, etc.

6 daily procedures

The Department of Education and Knowledge obligated schools to implement six daily measures to maintain health, including comprehensive cleaning and disinfection of their facilities once a day, providing places to wash or sterilize hands in different locations of the school building and on school buses, and classrooms contain sterilization wipes, hand sanitizer and a closed trash bin to ensure Maintaining hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting frequently used surfaces (light switches, door handles, stairs, toilet seats) every hour, cleaning and sterilizing toilets every hour, in addition to providing schools with a registered nurse or medical specialist to be present in the school, and a quarantine room for students and staff Those who suffer a sudden onset of symptoms of "Covid-19".

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