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Head teachers have urged older pupils to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to help to make the UAE s schools a safe environment.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Health and Prevention approved the use of the coronavirus vaccine for teenagers aged 16 and above.
Previously, anyone under the age of 18 was not allowed to be inoculated against the virus.
It is understood that teenagers
will receive the Sinopharm vaccine, which is one of
two
approved by authorities in the Emirates.
The drug was approved for nationwide use on December 9. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was first administered in Dubai two weeks later. Free and voluntary vaccination campaigns are under way for both.
Global exam disruption continues into its second year
The disruption of school-leaving exams which determine entry to university is now entering its second year as countries suffer second and third waves of COVID-19 infections. It has an effect well beyond the individual country’s exams as universities around the world try to assess the varied impact for international student admissions and attempts to be fair to students.
But the experience of last year’s cycle of school-leaving exams around the world, and the likelihood that COVID-19 related disruptions will continue to affect teaching and learning for the current cohort, have led to even greater reluctance this year to suspend crucial national examinations, with many countries believing there is little fair alternative for university admissions.