DOHA: Schools across Qatar are reopening today and may cause traffic jams on busy routes.
The Supreme Education Council (SEC) has issued a circular to schools with directions about management of school transport and student safety.
The SEC, in a circular issued recently, has asked Independent schools to send SMS to the parents about opening and closing time of schools so that they can pick students on time on the first day.
It will be a short day for students of Independent Schools as the SEC has asked these schools to end the first day at 11am.
The new academic year of Independent schools begins from today while Indian schools already kicked off the new session from April this year.
Around 300,000 students are enrolled in various schools in the country in the new academic year. Of these 102,300 are enrolled in 80 Independent schools and kindergartens while the rest are in private schools.
The SEC has also given directions to schools on the management of school buses. As per the directions, a school bus must have a supervisor.
Students availing transport must have a card with details such as contact number of a guardian, address and name of the supervisor.
They should also be given training on how to board the bus while leaving the school. Around 1,900 buses have been allotted to Independent Schools, out of which 450 buses are new.
Reopening of schools will also see additional burden to the city’s traffic system. It also marks the end of summer vacations which means more office-goers will be on the roads from this week.
Commuters will have to brace for traffic congestions as there will be more buses on the roads. The problem of traffic jams are likely to aggravate because of various diversions due to ongoing constructions at many places.
The traffic department will deploy additional patrolling staff to manage heavy traffic. More than 60 patrolling vehicles, in collaboration with Lekhwiya and Al Fazaa, will be deployed at various intersections and roundabouts to manage flow of vehicles.
Unlike last year, there is no crisis for admissions this year as many new schools have started operations in Qatar.
The SEC has given licences to nine new private schools and kindergartens this year, of which four schools have been allowed to have higher classes.
THE PENINSULA
