RIYADH — A total of 3.5 million students in the elementary and kindergarten levels will return on Sunday to in-person classes in more than 13,000 primary schools and 4,800 kindergartens in Saudi Arabia.

The Ministry of Education is continuing the orientation program for the safe return of students in the elementary and kindergarten levels after two years of in-person learning interruption.

The program includes reassuring students and their families of their safety and the importance of the in-person return, promoting positive behavior by applying precautionary measures at school, and increasing students’ motivation to interact with educational activities.

This is in addition to activating communication with families and parents and answering their questions and inquiries.

In the elementary and kindergarten levels, more than 13,000 primary schools, and more than 4,800 kindergartens in all regions and governorates of the Kingdom will begin to welcome students to school on Sunday in a healthy, safe educational environment that enhances academic achievement.

Schools have prepared reception programs for students, especially new ones in the primary classes in the elementary and kindergarten levels, through welcoming banners and awareness posters.

Preparations comprehend advice and supervisory instructions to activate their communication with the members of the school community.

This is in addition to organizing their school day and ensuring that it is healthily secured from the time they leave their house until their return to it, through the application of precautionary measures on buses and student tracks inside school.

The Ministry of Education motivates elementary and kindergarten students to return to their classrooms and participate with their colleagues in 22 cultural, recreational, and awareness activities to support their return to classrooms and realize the social and educational adaptation of new students to the school environment.

The activities vary between stories and cultural and entertainment competitions (The Child’s Theater), as well as artistic activities (I am an artist), individual sports activities, and kinetic games, in addition to documenting video clips of in-person returns (shots of joy), distributing in-kind gifts to motivate students, and a motivational program in applying precautionary measures.

The ministry has completed the readiness of schools for in-person return in terms of technical maintenance, availability of school tools and equipment, and their suitability to receive students.

In addition to the implementation of a number of general education schools in the regions and governorates of the Kingdom, simulated experiments for the safe return of a number of primary and kindergarten students with the participation of parents were effected in order to gain the children more confidence and psychological orientation before they return to study. — SG