Exams for some UAE public and private schools delayed

Schools following Ministry of Education's curriculum to hold exams online for all except Grade 12

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

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  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

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

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  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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End of term exams for public and private schools that follow the Ministry of Education's curriculum have been delayed.

The ministry initially said the tests would be held on November 15 but these have now been pushed back a week, to November 22.

Exams will be held online for pupils in grades 1 to 11 while Grade 12 pupils will sit tests in person.

The delay was agreed to give schools more time to prepare for the in-person exams and ensure safety measures are in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

"In order to ensure the readiness of all preventive measures and taking into account the interest of all students, November 22 is the date for the end of first semester exams in public and private schools that follow the Ministry of Education curriculum instead of the previously announced date that was scheduled on November 15," the ministry said.

Safety measures and procedures for the in-person exams will be shared at a later date, a spokesman from the ministry said.

Private schools across the UAE that do not follow the ministry's curriculum will have their exam details announced by the respective education regulatory bodies.

Schools and universities across the country closed in early March to control the spread of coronavirus.

The majority of private and public schools across the country reopened in late August for the new academic year.

UAE's International Baccalaureate schools are also set to hold in-person exams this month.

These exams will be the first major school-leaving assessments to be held amid the pandemic after a spate of cancellations in the summer.