Students across the nation will be allowed back into their classrooms beginning Nov. 1, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport said.
Schools will reopen under ministry regulations that require reduced classroom sizes, social-distancing measures and regular Covid-19 testing for students and teachers.
The decree includes all public and private schools, including state schools, trade schools and universities.
Health officials shut schools nationwide in February 2020 to stem the spread of Covid-19.
The ministry allowed a select group of schools to reopen earlier this year. Schools in areas with few or no Covid-19 infections were allowed to open first, followed by larger private schools with the means to implement adequate safety measures.
Officials discovered few infections during the pilot program. Authorities credited the initiative’s success on the country’s high vaccination rates and school’s strict adherence to the ministry’s safety regulations.
Nearly 100% of the Kingdom’s two million children aged 6 to 12 have been vaccinated. Vaccination rates for teenagers is also exceptionally high.
The ministry requires that teachers are vaccinated, and most have received their third booster dose.
