Students to start distance learning from Sunday: Education Ministry

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has announced to use Microsoft Teams and Learning Management System (LMS) applications which enable teachers to interact with students and parents through chatting under virtual education system which is scheduled to begin from March 22, (Sunday).

The students of government schools from grade 1 to 3 will use Microsoft Teams, while students from grade 4 to 12 will use the LMS, the Ministry said in a release issued yesterday.

The Ministry has prepared educational content for these school levels by photographing and producing videos of daily lessons that will be of approximately 10 minutes each, focusing on providing the students with the concepts and values of these lessons, which will be available on electronic links via the digital platforms provided by the Ministry.

These lessons were produced by carefully-selected specialist teachers from schools who received advance training in the production of the graphic lessons.

These teachers will explain the steps accompanying each lesson in a simple and sequential manner, to enable students to understand the lessons and answer the applications attached to them.

To ensure a smooth educational process and to enhance partnership between the parents and the schools, educational plans and the weekly class schedule will be published daily which includes contents of four illustrated subjects and daily and weekly assessments that the student will answer to ensure assimilation on the ministry’s website and the LMS system.

Tables will also be sent through SMS to parents to follow their children. The Ministry, taking into account these exceptional circumstances, gave the students a privilege to avail the lessons and revise them at any time, which gives parents an opportunity to support their children in learning by sparing time for them to access the platforms according to their grades.

The main source of learning (textbooks) will be provided in PDF format, as well as more supportive videos, and a set of sample answers for parents.

With regard to distance learning for people with disabilities, the Ministry has been working to provide educational materials that meet the needs of students with disabilities, according to the level and type of disability, where lessons will be uploaded on the LMS system for students of the first and second levels.

As students with hearing disabilities, all the subjects’ lessons were prepared for them in sign language, and the Ministry also took care of students with visual impairment when recording their lessons by ensuring the clarity and quality of the sound.

As for students of the third level of support, the lessons will be interactively on the Microsoft Teams system according to the individual student plans, including educational activities, videos, and instructions for parents.

With regard to specialised schools, such schools were instructed to select the best teachers of specialised subjects in each school and assign them to provide illustrated lessons for theoretical materials and practical workshops and upload them on the LMS at the school site and send text messages to parents notifying them to start broadcasting the lessons.

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education will provide technical support to implement distance learning for schools and parents in the event of obstacles or challenges in the system, and technical support will be available on the hotline 155.