Kuwait reopens schools amid strict precautions after 19-month shutdown

Kuwait reopens schools amid strict precautions after 19-month shutdown

KUWAIT: Thousands of students across Kuwait returned yesterday to their classes as the country decided to reopen schools after 19 months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With a smile on his face, Ali Al-Mhana, a 10th grader, wears his school uniform and a face mask waiting for his friends outside the school in Hawally Governorate. “I will meet all my friends again. I never thought I would say that, but I missed school,” he told Xinhua.

Mhana wasn’t the only one expecting to return to school. Reem Amro, who will be in 12th grade, expresses happiness of going back to school after months of lockdowns and boredom. “At first, we were happy when schools were suspended. It was a vacation, but after months I started to be bored and lost connection with many friends due to the coronavirus pandemic where there were no visits and meetups,” Amro said.

For the first time, Alia Al-Edwan, a housewife, spent hours on the traffic jam to reach her daughter’s school. “I used to stay at home and make activities for my children inside the home, but now I have to deal with the outside world again,” she said. Edwan added that e-learning was