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The school year in Iran began for some 15 million students, many of whom remained out of the classroom, in the face of fears of an outbreak of the new Corona virus, amid confirmation by the authorities of the adoption of all measures preventive measures to avoid “Covid-19”.
Nujuanan High School, in northern Tehran, witnessed an official and media presence at the beginning of the new school year, on a day interspersed with a video message from President Hassan Rouhani, who generally opened the school year with direct assistance.
Those entering the school went through a sterilization device, and underwent a temperature test, before being dispersed in their yard, maintaining social distancing.
The start of the educational year comes about six months after the closure of schools due to the outbreak of “Covid-19”, which Iran is the most affected country in the Middle East. The pandemic has killed more than 22,000 people in the Islamic Republic and infected more than 382,000.
According to the latest official figures announced by the Iranian Ministry of Health on Saturday, in the past twenty-four hours 110 people have died and 1,894 new infections have been reported.
“I hope that our dear families trust us and make sure that the ministry takes the utmost care to try to ensure that all necessary protocols are implemented,” Education Minister Mohsen Haji Mirzai said after ringing the bell at the beginning. of the school year.
This year a series of precautionary measures will be adopted, among them that the lessons do not last more than 35 minutes, maintaining a distance of at least one meter between each student and another, and forcing everyone to wear protective masks, according to the anti-“Covid-19” committee in Iran.
While many students will return to the classroom, many, especially the younger ones, will remain outside of the classroom and continue to learn from a distance.
– Discipline … and criticism –
In the video message transmitted to the students and officials present in Nujuanan, Rouhani emphasized the importance of strict compliance with preventive health measures and called for “discipline” in its application that is parallel to “the discipline of soldiers in the fields of training of the armed forces “.
Despite this, Rouhani did not escape the arrows of criticism, since his participation in the celebrations at the beginning of the school year was limited to a video message due to concerns about “Covid-19”, while the students are invited to go directly to schools and classes.
Reform journalist Maziar Khasrafi wrote on Twitter: “Rouhani rang the bell (the start of the school year) from afar, and do you expect me to send my son (to school)?”
For his part, the conservative film producer, Mahmoud Rezaei, asked via Twitter: “How can you expect people to trust protocols that the president himself does not trust, and to send their loved ones to school!”
The government had come under fire against the backdrop of students returning to classes with the start of the school year.
One of the most prominent critics was Mohammad Reza Zafarkandi, director of the Iranian Medical Council, a non-governmental body that acts as a medical association that handles the licensing and registration of healthcare workers, except nurses.
In an open letter published on Saturday, Zafarkandi said the approved procedures are somewhat “contradictory,” warning that students can be carriers of the Coronavirus without showing any symptoms, and subsequently lead to transmission of the infection.
– “We are all anxious” –
Several teachers and families of the students expressed concern about attending classes directly, fearing that this would lead to an outbreak of the virus.
“Controlling (the Covid-19 outbreak) is very difficult,” the school’s director, Nasreen Mobini, told AFP. “Students must be taught to follow health protocols and social distancing.”
“We are all concerned. My colleagues, parents, everyone,” he added.
For his part, a 66-year-old Amiri literature teacher said that returning to classes “creates pressure,” but acknowledged the need to hold the first classes at least directly, so that teachers and students get to know each other.
As for the mother of one of the students, who only mentioned her last name, Azarakhsh, she indicated that “anxiety and stress” accompany her when she brings her son to school today.
He indicated that he prefers direct attendance to classes, provided that preventive measures are applied strictly and effectively.
The students seemed happy to return to school, despite being aware of the danger of contracting or transmitting the infection.
“We are happy that the schools have reopened,” said the 14-year-old student, while acknowledging that the situation “continues to be dangerous for us and for others.”
He considered that school lessons “should not be completely direct, nor completely online. There should be a mix between the two.”
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