Dubai pupils return for in-person classes but Abu Dhabi goes ahead with virtual learning

Children in all public schools in the Emirates and pupils in private schools in Abu Dhabi will study remotely for the next two weeks

A pupil arrives for classes at Horizon International School in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Tens of thousands of pupils returned to private schools on Sunday after a three-week winter break.

In Dubai, 210 private schools welcomed about 279,000 pupils on the first day of the second term.

Children in the emirate have the options of in-person or online lessons.

In Abu Dhabi, private and public school pupils will study remotely until January 17, after which the Ministry of Education will review the situation.

The authorities will then decide whether to extend home learning or return to face-to-face lessons.

Private-school pupils in Abu Dhabi were informed on Wednesday that they would continue distance study for the first two weeks of term.

In term one, all pupils apart from those in Years 7 to 9 and those at increased risk of Covid-19 complications had the option of attending classes in person.

Children in these year groups and those with health problems were told  before the winter break they could go back to classrooms in January.

But as of now, these plans are on hold and all pupils will study remotely.

“It has been a really smooth start to term two at our school,” said Matthew Tompkins, principal of FirstPoint School The Villa in Dubai.

“A lot of planning has gone into the start of the new term.

“We welcome 38 new joiners and an additional 92 pupils returning from distance learning.

“This now means that we have more than 90 per cent of pupils who have returned to face-to-face learning.”

In Sharjah, just 12.8 per cent of pupils in private institutions went back to school on the first day of the term.

Sharjah Private Education Authority said 19,198 pupils returned to classrooms and 149,568 continued with online lessons.

The regulatory body said some schools in the emirate have reopened physically while the majority carried on with virtual lessons.

More are expected to have pupils back in person next week.

Dubai schools reopening on August 31 – in pictures

Parents see off their children off to classes for the first time since March in August 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Naividh Pillai, aged 3, looks a little bewildered as he arrives for his first day at Gems Wellington Academy with sister Alaikha and parents Meera and Deepesh. Antonie Robertson / The National

Gems Wellington Academy in Al Khail opens for the start of the school year. Antonie Robertson/The National

Gems Wellington Academy in Al Khail opens for the start of the school year. Thermal monitors at the entrance scan people for signs of fever or high temperature. Antonie Robertson/The National

Gems Wellington Academy in Al Khail opens for the start of the school year. Antonie Robertson / The National

A pupil wearing a colourful face shield arrives at Horizon International School in Dubai on Sunday. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A mother helps her son sanitise his hands as he arrives at Horizon school. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Children arrive for school at Horizon International School in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Children arrive for school at Horizon International School in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A pupil gets her temperature checked at the entrance of Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National

Pupils return to Al Mizhar American Academy in Dubai. Shruti Jain for The National

A staff member assists a pupil as Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National

Tarryn Patel, a homeroom teacher from South Africa, attends to her grade 1 pupil at Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National

Pupils are spaced apart at the cafetaria at Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National