Nurseries in the UAE will begin reopening gradually this week, six weeks after they were closed due to the Iran war, it was announced on Tuesday.
Authorities said childcare services in government premises and commercial buildings will open first.
Those not included in the initial phase can send nursery teachers to homes and community centres in the interim, in accordance with rules and existing procedures.
A decision on in-person learning in schools and the rest of the education sector will be announced on Wednesday through official channels of the Ministry of Education and “relevant higher education authorities”, it was stated.
The update came from the Education, Human Resources and Community Development Council in a social media post made by the UAE Government Media Office.
It said inspections are being conducted by government and local education authorities to ensure full readiness for the return to in-person classes. Guidelines are also being developed to support flexible transitions between in-person and remote learning as needed.
Cause for optimism
Nurseries with facilities in villas were hopeful that the re-opening would soon cover the entire sector. Parents have called nurseries to ask whether they could start sending their children in this week.
“We do miss the children, but overall we are hopeful that we too will soon reopen since the word 're-opening' is now being used,” said Salima Shroff Vastani, founder of the Super Kids Nursery in Dubai’s Mirdiff area, which cares for 80 children from about six months to five years old.
“We have told parents to continue to be patient as we trust the decisions taken by the authorities as safety comes first. We are telling parents that authorities have their best interests in mind, and that this is to ensure the safety of all children. The KHDA has been open with us in communication and told us to hang in there and to wait for official communication.”
Schools and universities have been teaching remotely since the beginning of March, after Iran first attacked the UAE with missiles and drones. It was previously announced that remote learning would continue across the UAE until at least April 17, after which it would be reviewed weekly.
The war has caused major disruption to education. Aside from the switch to remote learning, international A-level and GCSE examinations have been cancelled. Leading UK education boards confirmed earlier this month that summer exams for school leavers and university hopefuls would be scrapped, possibly putting academic aspirations on hold.
