Armstrong Vas
DOHA QATAR
With the closure of schools and universities in Qatar virtual classes are set to take place instead of conventional means of teaching and learning while a host of religious institutions have stepped in to join the government efforts in implementing several precautionary measures in the wake of rising Coronavirus fears.
The Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary has joined the State efforts to secure and maintain the safety of the people and avoid transmission of the virus.
The current situation of Coronavirus disease has affected many countries including Qatar and the Government of Qatar through the Ministry of Public Health has already implemented steps.
Qatar announced 238 new confirmed cases of Coronavirus saying the number of infections was likely to rise in the coming days.
The number of Coronavirus infections in the energy-rich Gulf state is now 262 so far.
“The clergy of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish has also stepped in to be a part of the solution, and has decided to close the Church for a period of two weeks effective from March 12 to 26,” said Fr. Rally Gonzaga, Parish priest of the church in a letter addressed to the parishioners.
“The faithful are advised to follow our spiritual obligations and practices of faith in their own homes, through the following means: To participate in the Holy Mass through the Catholic TV channels or videos in YouTube; To read together as a family, the Scripture readings of the day; To pray the way of the cross at home; To recite the Holy Rosary together as a family, and Other spiritual activities,” the letter adds.
“We urge everyone to remain calm amidst these trying times and continue to pray for everyone’s safety. Let us continuously pray for God’s mercy and compassion through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary,” Fr Rally added.
The Government Communications Office announced, in a statement, the suspension of classes in public and private schools and universities for all students in the State of Qatar as of Tuesday, March 10, 2020, until further notice.
Meanwhile some schools and colleges have taken to the virtual teaching route to stay connected with the students and continue the teaching exercise.
With the closure of schools and universities in Qatar, virtual classes are set to take place of conventional means of teaching and learning as a number of educational institutes are ready to employ modern technology.
Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Dr. Ibrahim Al Nuaimi, has said that the virtual education would be an alternative for schools and universities if the classes are suspended for long to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“I wish the return of classes as soon as possible but if suspension of classes continue we will resort to the use of technology of virtual classes as an alternative which we have and it will be applied on schools and universities,” said Dr Ibrahim.
The management of the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies (DI) has aslso decided to continue studying through the virtual education and distance education platforms as of today, according to the current study plans and its schedule.
Birla Public School has said that the ongoing Grade XII classes (Academic Year 2020“2021) will resume in an online platform (virtual classroom) from March 15, 2020.
