KUWAIT: Kuwait's government decided yesterday to resume studies for grade 12 by August and the remaining grades in October, part of the state's efforts to preserve wellbeing of students amidst spread of coronavirus because health situation in coming 8-10 weeks remains unstable.

Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Saud Al-Harbi, at a joint press conference with government spokesman Tareq Al-Mezrem, said some 38,000 students in grade 12 would resume on August 4. He said the students would have 5-6 weeks to complete modified curricula until late september.

Harbi said grades 1-11 would resume studies on October 4. The start of next academic year would be in December, 2020, said Harbi. He explained expatriate teachers and staff would be allowed to return to their countries until before resumption of studies. Mezrem said closure of public and private schools, colleges and universities would be extended and they would reopen on Tuesday, August 4.

Mezrem, meanwhile, said the government assigned the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to coordinate with the public authority for industry and Kuwait Airways to import basic food needs. It also assigned the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Ministry of Health (MoH) to set up a field hospital at the International Fairs Group as soon as possible, he said. The government also assigned the MoD, MoH and relevant authorities to take legal action against people violating the communicable disease law, Mezrem added.