The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) has announced that a total of 38,329 teachers, administrative staff and other workers in private schools across the emirate have been vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic, This number has been increased the total number of vaccinated school workers to 95 percent, according to the statistics issued by education regulators.

As per the figures, less than 50 percent of students in a majority of private and charter schools in Abu Dhabi have also received the vaccination. Therefore, they remain in the “orange category” of the Blue Schools initiative.

Earlier this month, the Adek implemented the Blue Schools Initiative in view of a rise in COVID-19 vaccination among students to 37 percent. Students have started to attend in-person private and charter schools since the beginning of the academic year 2021/22.

In the first week of November, Abu Dhabi authorities noted that 93 percent of students aged above 16, 68 percent of students aged between 12 to 15, and 21 percent of students aged under 12 years of age have received the vaccination against COVID-19.

Under the Blue Schools Initiative, vaccination receives the utmost priority in the journey towards recovery. It further encourages students and teachers to get vaccinated to enhance the protection against COVID-19 and contain the impact of the pandemic.

Education regulators had announced the classification of schools based on the vaccination rates of students. Schools with the most vaccinated students will receive relaxations in precautionary measures, including reduced social distancing requirements, eased mask-wearing protocols, increased capacity in classrooms and school transport, and resumption of extra-curricular activities, intra-school events and field trips.

The four tiers include:

· 'Orange’ for schools with less than 50 percent of students vaccinated

· 'Yellow’ for schools with 50-60 percent vaccinated students

· ‘Green’ for schools with 65-84 percent of vaccinated students

· ‘Blue’ for schools with 85 percent and above vaccinated students

Meanwhile, government protocols have made vaccination for students under the age of 16 voluntary. The Blue Schools Initiative affirms vaccination adoption as the key path to post-pandemic recovery.

Private schools across Abu Dhabi have been working relentlessly to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination for students and their parents to protect their health and facilitate return to normalcy of the sector.

Speaking with Khaleej Times, George Mathew, CEO and principal of Gems Indian School in Abu Dhabi, said that his team has been working enthusiastically to get students vaccinated in order to remain in the ‘blue’ tier.

“We are showing the importance of the vaccine to our parents, and many have taken their kids for jabs with a number of vaccinated pupils growing daily. We tell the parents that education, especially for young children has always been physical through pupils interacting with teachers and their classmates,” Mathew added.