Schools said they are ready to return in September, but anticipate significant changes to the school day and more learning from home. Pawan Singh / The National
Schools said they are ready to return in September, but anticipate significant changes to the school day and more learning from home. Pawan Singh / The National
Schools said they are ready to return in September, but anticipate significant changes to the school day and more learning from home. Pawan Singh / The National
Schools said they are ready to return in September, but anticipate significant changes to the school day and more learning from home. Pawan Singh / The National

Coronavirus: UAE private schools preparing to welcome pupils in September


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Private schools said they were ready to welcome back pupils in September and urged the authorities to ease regulations.

At an online meeting on Thursday organised by Education Business Group, a private school association representing more than 100 schools, executives discussed how they could bring back more than 800,000 pupils into classrooms.

Schools are set to return for the new academic year in September but expect to run a "blended" programme with lessons taught in school and at home. No decision has yet been made by the authorities.

Some school groups said they needed flexibility to put staff on reduced wages or on unpaid leave, and even asked the government for financial support.

Our human resource expenses are 60-70 per cent, so we need flexibility to perhaps furlough staff and decide how we manage our staff

"The health pandemic has forced all schools in the UAE to shut down and we faced logistical and operation problems," said Ajay Mankani, director of Fortes Holdings, which runs schools and nurseries across the country.

"We are asking for support from the government. We are asking for flexibility in choosing our operating models."

Mr Mankani claimed easing regulations on teaching (subjects and timetables) may be needed to continue running.

“We need flexibility in terms of our human resource practices," he said.

"Our human resource expenses are 60 to 70 per cent, so we need flexibility to perhaps furlough staff and decide how we manage our staff, while keeping with the regulations of the UAE".

"If, on the other hand, the government allows schools to open physically in September, and gives schools the flexibility to choose their operating model, whether blended or in staggered shifts, schools would not need to furlough staff.  In fact, many schools may need to hire additional staff because of social distancing protocols that limit class sizes."

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Coronavirus latest: images around the UAE

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Alan Williamson, chief executive at Taaleem, which runs 13 private schools, stressed the need to have pupils back in the classroom.

"The economy needs parents at the workplace and not at home educating their children," he said.

"The private sector in UAE employs more than 50,000 teachers in education and that is a major massive part of the workforce.

"Opening schools is the best way of ensuring those 50,000 jobs are secure.

“It is imperative that schools open not only from an economic perspective but from a social perspective."

Mr Williamson said the UAE had the advantage of learning from countries that allowed pupils to return before the summer.

“We are watching Scandinavia, the Far East and Europe so that UAE schools will have a tremendous advantage when they open," he said.

"We saw that when we transformed our schools in a week and we are ready to transform our schools back into the new norm."

Mr Williamson said the group was working with education regulators, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai and the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, to find the best way to bring back pupils in September.

"Schools need to open for the well-being of children," he said.

"The social aspect is being missed. We are missing science labs, sports fields, dance studios and arts studios. We are missing the totality of the curriculum."

Last week, a global poll found four out of five teachers said it was not yet safe to return to the school.

The poll involved more than 4,000 teachers from 33 countries at the T4 Conference, one of the world’s largest education fairs.

Sir Christopher Stone, global chief education officer at Gems Education, said that while there is a certain amount that could be taught online, children need to interact.

Mr Stone said online learning might leave behind children who are more vulnerable, or those who had special needs, or some who needed team work to succeed.

The%20specs
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RESULTS

Argentina 4 Haiti 0

Peru 2 Scotland 0

Panama 0 Northern Ireland 0

Company%20Profile
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The specs: McLaren 600LT

Price, base: Dh914,000

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm

Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm

Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km

Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers

EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
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The specs: 2018 Ford F-150

Price, base / as tested: Dh173,250 / Dh178,500

Engine: 5.0-litre V8

Power: 395hp @ 5,000rpm

Torque: 555Nm @ 2,750rpm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 12.4L / 100km

Traces%20of%20Enayat
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'O'
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MATCH INFO

Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)

Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties

Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)

Previous men's records
  • 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
  • 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
  • 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
  • 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
  • 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
  • 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
  • 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
  • 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
  • 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
  • 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
RESULT

Bayern Munich 0 AC Milan 4
Milan: Kessie (14'), Cutrone (25', 43'), Calhanoglu (85')

The UN General Assembly President in quotes:

YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”

PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”

OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”

REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
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MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')

Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)

'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra

Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa

Rating: 4/5

Match info

Deccan Gladiators 87-8

Asif Khan 25, Dwayne Bravo 2-16

Maratha Arabians 89-2

Chadwick Walton 51 not out

Arabians won the final by eight wickets

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

Sui Dhaaga: Made in India

Director: Sharat Katariya

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav

3.5/5

Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Raha%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Kuwait%2FSaudi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tech%20Logistics%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2414%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Soor%20Capital%2C%20eWTP%20Arabia%20Capital%2C%20Aujan%20Enterprises%2C%20Nox%20Management%2C%20Cedar%20Mundi%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20166%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.

Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5