Although in-school classes were set to begin across the country on August 30, schools in Sharjah will implement 100 per cent e-learning for students for the first two weeks of the new academic term.
In a circular sent to schools, the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) said online-only learning will apply till September 10. This decision is in the interest of students and educational staff, and will guarantee the success of the new academic year, it stated. The situation is being continuously monitored, it added. Educators in Sharjah have welcomed the decision.
Abu Dhabi to collect full tuition fees
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) issued a new set of guidelines according to which students will need to pay tuition fees in full, regardless of the mode of attendance and reopening model followed by their school.
The 21-page document outlined an extensive list of guidelines for parents preparing their children for the new school term. Parents can opt to continue with the distance learning option for their kids for the next term or allow them to attend school in person.
Schools will reopen with either one model or a combination of models, such as full day, half day, alternating days, alternating weeks, or a hybrid of the above.
The guidelines stated that schools will not be able to reduce bus fees, even if there is a possible reduction in the number of days the students physically attend classe. This is because the buses need to operate at 50 per cent, in keeping with health and safety protocols.
Parents facing financial difficulties should reach out to the school principal for support. The guidelines also noted that if parents choose not to enrol their children in a school, and instead decide to homeschool them, the children will run the risk of repeating the grade when they are back in the system.
Dubai hopes for “safe start”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said that safety of students and teachers is top priority as schools prepare to reopen. He added that he is looking forward to a “safe start” to the school year for a million pupils across the country. He reviewed preparations for the new school year 2020-21 and the various precautionary measures that will be implemented by schools amid the pandemic.
Jameela Al Muheiri, Minister of State for Public Education, presented the plan for resuming private school education, noting that several operational models have been developed and each school can choose the ideal model approved by the ministry, which includes full-time attendance, part-time attendance, day and week shifts, and hybrid education.
The ministry performed a simulation of children’s attendance in schools to explore the challenges and opportunities for improvement, noting that the physical attendance of students in schools will be gradual – 25 percent at the start of the year, then 50 percent, then 75 percent and finally 100 percent, under close monitoring.
Regarding higher education, Hussain Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, stressed that several meetings were held with officials from higher education institutions to discuss how to resume classes and adopt related mechanisms, noting that the current academic year will be a mixture of personal attendance in university campuses and remote learning.
