Qatar University has launched an Arabic weekly radio programme looking at educational issues in both the country and wider Gulf region, the Peninsula has reported. Educational Affairs airs on a Saturday and asks students and education experts to join its discussions. "This is a good training and good experience for students, especially the media students," the show's producer, Masoud Abdulhadi said.
The Jordanian Health Ministry has closed an elementary school and a kindergarten as a precautionary measure after three students were found to have swine flu. Both will be shut for one to two weeks to protect students from being infected by the virus, the ministry said.
Oman's Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has announced that it is delaying the opening of its 2009/10 academic year, and will start on September 26 for all its colleges instead of September 5 as announced earlier, Khaleej Times has reported. The rising prevalence of swine flu in the sultanate was the main reason for the postponement. SQU students had been informed of the change via emails and SMS messages, the university has said.
Dr Hussein Al-Jazaery, the Middle East Regional Manager of the World Health Organization (WHO), has said that cancelling or postponing the school year in Kuwait would not solve the H1N1 virus problem, Al Watan Daily has reported. "Kuwait's precautionary steps match the recommendations made by the WHO," he added.
The UAE's Ministry of Education has said that a school in Sharjah has been shut for a week because a number of its students had symptoms of swine flu. "The report prompted us to close the school for the safety of its 800 boy and girl students," the ministry said.
United Arab Emirates:
Thursday, September 03 - 2009 at 11:26
All government and private schools in the UAE must raise the UAE flag and play the national anthem during the daily morning assembly or before the start of the school day, following a circular issued by Humaid al Qattami, the Minister of Education. Al Qutami said raising the flag and playing the national anthem are a must for students when attending school, because it reflects their national sentiments towards their nation, leadership and land.
United Arab Emirates:
Wednesday, September 02 - 2009 at 08:54
Kuwait's ministry of education has said that it has no plans to delay the opening of public and private schools in the country, KUNA has reported. The ministry has taken all steps to assure that the school year proceeds smoothly, minister of education and higher education Dr. Moudhi Al-Hmoud said. Kuwait's public schools will open on September 27, while private schools will open on September 13, she said.
Kuwait's Ministry of Higher Education has signed an agreement with Bahrain's Arabian Gulf University under which the school will accept 16 extra Kuwaitis annually in its College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, KUNA has reported. The move will grant 96 Kuwaitis with free scholarships to the university, the ministry said.
Bahrain's health ministry has ordered all schools in the kingdom to create isolation rooms and set up specialised teams to monitor pupils for swine flu, the Gulf Daily News has reported. Children at all government and primary schools must have their temperature checked on arrival for signs of fever every day for the first week of the new term. Schools where swine flu is discovered could be shut for up to a week, the ministry said.
Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has said that nurseries and day care centres in the emirate will be monitored to ensure that the levels care and education children receive are in accordance to international standards, Khaleej Times has reported. The criteria will range from the quality of care and education to buildings and health and safety standards, the KHDA said.
United Arab Emirates:
Sunday, August 30 - 2009 at 09:54
British independent school, Sherborne is marking the launch of its Doha campus, Sherborne Qatar, on September 9, as the new school opens its academic session for junior students on September 27, The Peninsula has reported. The school has initially opened for Junior School and will later be offering up to IGSCE as well as International Baccalaureate in the future, according to Colin Niven, the Founding Principal of Sherborne Qatar.
The Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi (DoT) and the Higher College of Technology (HCT) are to launch an educational developed programme that will include a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Transport Engineering and an MSc in Transport Management and Planning. The course programmes include work placements at the Department of Transport during the four-year courses, with guaranteed employment at the DoT after graduation for the highest qualifying students. More than 730 students have already applied for 40 places on the programme, with the first intake entering this academic year.
United Arab Emirates:
Thursday, August 27 - 2009 at 11:55
Saudi Arabia is to open four new universities around the kingdom, in Dammam, Alkharj, Shaqra and Majmaa. The decision has been made because Riyadh's King Saud University and Dammam's King Faisal University have "exceeded the natural size of a university", which could affect their academic and research programs, the Ministry of Higher Education said.
Saudi Arabia:
Wednesday, August 26 - 2009 at 12:58
Kuwait's Health Ministry has instigated a preventive plan to combat the potential spread of the H1N1 virus in public and private schools. The plan aims to restrict large gatherings of students, especially when eating section and in school halls. In the classroom, students sit at least one metre apart. Any school where 5% of pupils are suffering from swine flu will be closed for a week. Students suspected of having the virus will be isolated until they can be seen by a doctor.
The academic year for kindergartens and private schools for the handicapped has been postponed until September 10, Kuwait's Ministry of Education and Higher Education has said. The delay moves the start of the school year back by two days and has been taken so that officials can ensure that teachers who have been abroad do not exhibit signs of the H1N1 virus. The Ministry also recommended that 120 school clinics should be equipped with the necessary supplies to treat the virus.