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UAE school leaders have told of how contingency plans were put in place for a return to remote learning after the latest wave of attacks from Iran.
Authorities on Monday night confirmed the temporary closure of nurseries, schools and universities until the end of this week as a precautionary measure.
The decision came after UAE air defence systems engaged with 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones from Iran in the first attack on the Emirates in nearly a month.
Schools heads said the shift back to distance learning was smooth, as preparations were built into official guidance last month about steps to be followed should the Iran war flare up again.
Funke Baffour-Awuah, corporate head of well-being for Gems Education, one of the UAE's leading private school groups, said staff were able to respond with “speed and care”.
“There is no version of a sudden return to distance learning that does not carry disruption,” she said. “For children, families and staff, the loss of physical schooling is genuinely hard and I would never minimise that.
“We had contingency thinking and we had infrastructure. No plan anticipates every moment, but what we had built meant we could respond with care and with speed. Our network was mobilised immediately and we are continuing to support our teams.”
Safety paramount
Lee Hole, principal of Dubai British School Jumeira, said the transition reflected staff preparation and professionalism.
“Our immediate priorities were clear: to communicate quickly with families, ensure continuity of learning and mobilise staff to prepare for a full return to distance learning,” he said.
“This required close co-ordination late into the evening, with colleagues working to ensure systems, resources and communications were ready for the following morning.
“Students and families were familiar with our platforms, allowing live lessons and learning resources to resume without delay. As a community, we are now settling back into distance-learning routines.”
Simon Jodrell, principal of Jebel Ali School, said the priority was to make sure pupils and families knew what to expect from Tuesday.
“Behind the scenes, it was a real team effort. The leadership team worked late into the evening to realign timetables, particularly for examination year groups and ensure that everything was ready for the start of the school day,” Mr Jodrell said.
“Moving between different models of delivery always requires flexibility, even with recent experience.”
Zeina Abdalla, mother of three children aged seven, nine and 11, said the quick decision making was reassuring.
“I’d rather have them home where I know they’re safe, so I’m not worried about them throughout the day,” she said of her children. “Schools have been very quick to get kids back on track and have done a great job making sure no one falls behind,” she said. “Teachers and schools are well equipped for online learning and kids have adapted quickly. I’ve genuinely appreciated how responsive schools have been and how engaged teachers are. It’s made juggling everything feel manageable and I’m grateful for how seamlessly they’ve handled the switch.”
Education action plan
The Ministry of Education said the measures were to “ensure the safety and well-being of the educational community”. The situation will be monitored and reviewed on May 8.
Education heads have said the previous return to in-person classes on April 20 came with a clear understanding that the situation was being monitored and continually assessed.
The reopening guidelines stated there would be a move back to distance learning to ensure security of pupils, staff and guarantee uninterrupted education.
Aisha Miran, director general of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai, placed safety and security at the heart of all decisions.
“If the situation changes and this is part of our protocol, there are very clear guidelines on what schools would need to do,” she had said in a message on X.
“Whether we continue with in-person [lessons] or move back to distance learning, it will take into account the safety and well-being of students, staff and ensuring the continuity of learning. This is part of our training and the sector’s resilience that we need to be well prepared to adapt to any situation.”
The Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi (ADEK) said “the health and well-being of students and educational staff were at the forefront of priorities”.
Strict safety protocol
Safety protocol mapped out action expected of teachers and parents in case of high alert levels. Educational institutions were trained on two operation risk levels – green and red.
Green related to a low-risk, stable situation in which there were no alert messages, with morning assembly and outdoor activities permitted under supervision and clear evacuation routes in place.
The “red or potential danger level” mandated a switch to distance learning. “Do not resume on-site learning without official approval,” the KHDA guidelines specify.
Security directives are clear: “Lives first, safety always … possessions and buildings can be replaced but lives cannot be compensated.”
