After an early two-week spring break that begins this Sunday, hundreds of thousands of pupils will return to school.
But they won't be at their desks.
Schools across the country will remain closed for a further two weeks after the holiday. The government said it made the decision on Tuesday night as a precaution to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The Covid-19 virus only affects a fraction of one per cent of children, but as with any country, huge daily movements of people can spread disease – especially a contagious one like coronavirus.
We haven't mandated that school uniforms must be worn - but we've asked for no pyjamas and no swimwear
So how will pupils – facing tough exams, international competition for university places and global education targets – keep up?
Dubai College gave The National a demonstration of its Skype-style classroom system.
It allows teachers to give lessons in real-time to pupils at home using a combination of Microsoft 365 – used for presentations in the business world – and the video-conferencing app Cisco Webex.
Each pupil reports in online and settles down for class. They are even expected to dress smart – "no pyjamas and no swimwear".
“I get a picture of all them and then check the register to see they are all present,” said physics teacher Regina O’Dwyer, standing at an electronic white board at the school in Al Sufouh.
“Then I share the board I am working on with them. I will give them work to do in their virtual exercise books then.
“I can go in and out to check their progress and I can see them at all times.”
She said challenges would not come from pupils or staff struggling to adapt but from connectivity issues as the whole country logs on at 7.30am. There are more than 1,200 schools in the UAE and 1.1 million pupils, according to the Ministry of Education.
“Is the bandwidth going to be able to cope with every pupil in the country suddenly live-streaming all day?
“All the lessons will be recorded though and a link will be available if students can’t connect initially,” Ms O’Dwyer said.
Schools across the country are preparing for the coming weeks – many may not already have such systems in place – but in the long run, pupils may tire of the e-lessons between 7.45am and 3.35pm.
“Two weeks is fine but if it goes on any longer they are going to get lonely just sitting at home and they will lose that connectivity they get from being with others in school,” she said.
“Even with the best will in the world, it’s going to be hard for pupils unless they are very dedicated and motivated.”
Headteacher Michael Lambert said the school recognises that flexibility is needed, with children sitting in their home environment, but said standards must be adhered to.
Is the bandwidth going to be able to cope with every pupil in the country suddenly live streaming all day?
“We haven’t mandated that school uniforms must be worn – but we’ve asked for no pyjamas and no swimwear,” he said.
“Staff need to dress professionally while students need to dress respectfully.
“We are running a regular school day except it’s online, we have 50-minute lessons, which will be reduced to 40 minutes.
“There will be a 10-minute transition for pupils and teachers to disconnect from screens.
“This means they wouldn’t be staring at a computer screen for the entire duration of the day.”
Heavy rain and widespread flooding in the 2019/2020 academic year has already led to school closures and missed lessons.
The home-learning system could be introduced next time that happens, he said.
"We live in an age of pandemic; we've seen Sars, Mers, Ebola and now coronavirus. It's only [going] to keep coming because we live in an increasingly globalised world," Mr Lambert said.
“In terms of continuity for schools, everyone’s got to have a plan because if it’s not coronavirus then it will be something else.
“We are all going to be in this situation again and while teaching remotely online is not a perfect solution, it is what we will have to turn to when scenarios like this occur.”
Tuesday evening’s announcement meant spring break, which was due to begin on March 29, was brought forward by two weeks.
This would then be followed by two weeks of home-teaching in which students would be taught online until April 5.
Almost 1,000 students at Dubai College were being put through their paces on how exactly the set-up would work on Wednesday.
Mr Lambert asked parents, many of whom may need to take time off or work from home, to try to set aside a workspace.
“A child might need to be in a bedroom, especially if they are in a small apartment and need somewhere quiet to study,” he said.
“We will be as open and transparent as we possibly can and will have a digital recording of each and every lesson to ensure all child protection and safety standards are upheld.”
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Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: from Dh321,200
On sale: now
More on Quran memorisation:
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Company%20profile
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)
Saturday
Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)
Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldof v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)
Sunday
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Listen to Extra Time
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
The%20specs
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Jebel Ali results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: AF Al Moreeb, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Shamikh, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 64,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: One Vision, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Gabr, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
4pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 96,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Just A Penny, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
4.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Torno Subito, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,950m
Winner: Untold Secret, Jose Santiago, Salem bin Ghadayer
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
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Gulf Under 19s
Pools
A – Dubai College, Deira International School, Al Ain Amblers, Warriors
B – Dubai English Speaking College, Repton Royals, Jumeirah College, Gems World Academy
C – British School Al Khubairat, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Yasmina Academy
D – Dubai Exiles, Jumeirah English Speaking School, English College, Bahrain Colts
Recent winners
2018 – Dubai College
2017 – British School Al Khubairat
2016 – Dubai English Speaking School
2015 – Al Ain Amblers
2014 – Dubai College
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Friday's schedule in Madrid
Men's quarter-finals
Novak Djokivic (1) v Marin Cilic (9) from 2pm UAE time
Roger Federer (4) v Dominic Thiem (5) from 7pm
Stefanos Tsitsipas (8) v Alexander Zverev (3) from 9.30pm
Stan Wawrinka v Rafael Nadal (2) from 11.30pm
Women's semi-finals
Belinda Bencic v Simona Halep (3) from 4.30pm
Sloane Stephens (8) v Kiki Bertens (7) from 10pm