Culture & Education | Wednesday 2 September, 2015 2:47 am |

The Directorate of Education in Riyadh is keeping a close watch on schools, such as sanctioning health material and monitoring the health of staff and students, to prevent the spread of the MERS coronavirus among students. 
As a step in this direction, the directorate recently asked a teacher with symptoms of MERS to go on long leave until he is cleared by the health authorities, local media reported on Tuesday.
Assistant Director General for School Affairs in Riyadh, Hamad Al-Shnaibir, has approved a plan to provide health materials to schools such as sterilization kits and hygiene packages. 
He has also agreed to equip school clinics with medical equipment, in addition to providing training for health and educational staff.
Al-Shnaibir said the education plan includes activities in cooperation with implementing and supporting bodies such as the School Health Directorate, various health units, Health Affairs Directorate and a number of educational offices and schools, in addition to leading medical and educational groups. 
He said the education plan includes holding meetings for the educational committee about proper health procedures, and about mechanisms that can be used to coordinate with the Health Affairs Directorate, in addition to field visits to monitor the school environment.
Riyadh Educational Directorate recently announced the targeting of 3,000 people on the occasion of the ‘International Day for Erasing Illiteracy’. 
Senior Education Adviser, Muneira Al-Yousif, called on all government and private schools to participate in registering illiterates and encouraging them to join illiteracy centers in the neighborhood.