The UAE will begin a gradual return to normal education in public schools and universities as well as Abu Dhabi private schools from February 14, 2021.
The Ministry of Education set out the details on Wednesday.
The decision came as many schools are closed as a precaution or because of Covid-19 cases among staff, pupils or parents. Private schools in Dubai resumed in-person classes in August with individual schools closing periodically because of an increase in case numbers.
"The option of distance education will remain available until the end of the current school year, taking into account the importance of co-ordination between parents and school principals," the ministry said.
Safety precautions in place for schools were reviewed and updated to take into account the latest coronavirus developments. These will continue to be updated throughout the school year.
The return to classrooms will be staggered with schools expected to maintain a hybrid learning system.
The ministry said the decision was made "based on the recommendations of authorities and taking into account the wishes of pupils' parents".
On Wednesday, Abu Dhabi's Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said classroom education would resume for all grades at the emirate's schools with e-learning would be an option until the end of the academic year.
The committee said it approved a "preventive protocol" for schools to ensure the safety of staff and pupils.
In-person classes were initially set to resume – for all public schools in the UAE and private schools in Abu Dhabi – at the start of the second school term in January but were delayed twice because of increasing case numbers.
In preparation for normal classes, private school regulators organised vaccination drives for staff.
This week, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge said 15,000 staff members – about 60 per cent of the total staff – received the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine during a voluntary drive.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai is also leading a vaccination campaign for school staff with many schools reporting that the majority of their employees have been immunised.
Abu Dhabi private school pupils in years seven to nine, who have not returned to classrooms since March, will also resume in-person lessons.\
Nicola Neethling, vice principal at Raha International School, said the school had not held in-person classes since December 10.
"We are extremely excited to welcome our pupils back to school for face-to-face learning," she said.
"We are particularly excited about the return to on-site learning for our secondary middle year programme. Many of these pupils are eager to get back to school and see their friends and teachers."
Secondary pupils have been unable to return to on-site learning this academic year.
"We will wait for guidance from the Department of Education and Knowledge, however, we anticipate that secondary pupils will need to be tested before they return," said Ms Neethling.
Mark Leppard, headmaster at British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi, said he was pleased that the school would reopen after mid-term break.
"I must admit since we have had this extension of distance learning, it's been quite a heavy mood in the schools," he said.
"Now, we feel like a weight has been lifted off our minds.
"We closed in December with the intention of being back on the January third. The opening was postponed and we have been waiting."
He said 97 per cent of parents had opted for an in-person return to classes.
Teachers are also looking forward to welcoming middle year pupils after a 11-month break from face-to-face learning, he said.
The school has planned for secondary pupils to have the campus to themselves for a day while all other pupils study at home to reorientate them to in-classroom learning.
"After nearly a year away, we will need to give pupils some time, brief them, and address their challenges," said Mr Leppard.
"Pupils really want to come back but there will be some anxiety because they haven't been back in a long time."
New pupils that joined the school this year will enter the classrooms for the first time. He said anxious or concerned pupils are advised to seek help from their teachers.
Kelvin Hornsby, principal at Gems Cambridge International School in Abu Dhabi, said their pupils would return to classrooms on February 21, after a mid-term break from February 14 to 20.
He said the school had been sanitised and prepared for their return.
The school closed for winter holidays on December 10.
Close to 2,100 pupils of 3,450 enrolled at the school previously committed to an in-person return.
While younger pupils will be in school every day, pupils in years one to six will alternate.
More than half of the school's 334 staff members have already taken the first shot of the vaccine.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
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The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
PRISCILLA
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
Blonde
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
