Coronavirus: Sheikh Hamdan visits Dubai's school regulator as pupils prepare for return to classrooms

The Crown Prince of Dubai said lessons have been learned the approach of schools to distance learning during the Covid-19 outbreak

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visited with members of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed visited the offices of Dubai's private school regulator as pupils across the emirate prepare for their return to the classroom later this month.

The Crown Prince of Dubai said many lessons had been learned from the experiences of schools which were forced to close their doors in March and adopt distance learning to help stem the spread of Covid-19.

Sheikh Hamdan spoke out after meeting with members of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

The new academic year will begin on August 30 with the majority of learners set to return to in-person classes for the first time in months.

"During my visit to KHDA, I oversaw the preparations for the upcoming academic year.
"I directed the provision of the necessary assurances and options to prepare a safe environment that would guarantee the protection of the pupils and educational staff's health across all schools in Dubai.

"We have learned so many important lessons about the experience of remote learning during the last academic year.

"During the next phase, we will keep on finding more solutions for school and university education in Dubai in a bid to make it easier for pupils and teachers while continuing in developing the education sector to improve its quality."

Schools must abide by strict safety measures in order to welcome back staff and pupils.

Some of the measures include mandatory use of face masks, thermal screening at entrances, physical distancing and protocols for suspected cases of coronavirus.

Schools will be allowed to set classroom sizes as long as they are able to keep seats placed 1.5 metres apart.

Some schools may choose to hold classes in gymnasiums or garden areas, while others may decide to continue online learning in the next academic year.