Distance learning in UAE: free mobile internet for families without home WiFi

Etisalat and Du will provide a data package for free to help the distance learning project starting next week

Physics teacher Regina O'Dwyer demonstrates how Dubai College's remote learning system works. Victor Besa / The National

As schools in the UAE move to home learning next week, authorities have offered free mobile internet service to families who may not be connected at home.

Telecommunications Regulatory Authority announced on Wednesday that it has co-ordinated with service providers in the country to provide free service via mobile phone to help pupils and students log into their online learning platforms.

Etisalat and Du will also provide a package of data to access distance learning features for families without home internet, free of charge.

Schools and universities across the UAE closed for a month from March 8 as part of efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The two-week spring break, which had been due to begin on March 29, started two weeks early, after which distance learning will be introduced during the remaining two weeks.

Pupils at government schools will study from home using a programme called Learn from Afar from March 22 to April 5.

Recently, the Ministry of Education, in co-operation with Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University hosted more than 42,000 teachers and academic staff using a free e-training course.

"How to be an online tutor in 24 hours" was designed to teach both local and international teaching and academic staff the skills to manage classrooms remotely and use other digital teaching tools.

More than 22,000 certificates were issued, an achievement that serves the goals of the national agenda of the UAE Vision 2021 to develop a world-class education system that invests in human capital in the areas of innovation, leadership and knowledge in the digital age.