Saudi Arabia's 'virtual nurseries' reach children in remote areas

Children who cannot attend a nursery due to their location or health reasons can access virtual nurseries

Minister of Education Hussain Al Hammadi says curriculums, projects and research in the UAE will be enhanced with the use of smart systems. Reem Mohammed / The National

Virtual nurseries could be the answer to getting more children in schools who could not otherwise attend them.

An online nursery, where children can learn by taking part in activities and watching videos on smartphones, has already launched in Saudi Arabia.

An education forum in Dubai heard on Tuesday how the virtual nursery ensured children unable to attend preschool did not miss out on development opportunities at a critical age.

Children between the ages of 3 and 6 can log in to their nurseries on mobile phones and learn Islamic studies, play games, read stories and submit projects.

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Education Dr Hamad Al Sheikh said the government-run virtual nursery was a sign of what was to come.

"This is a step that paves the way to launch a virtual school for all levels of education in the near future,” he said.

"Everyone is working towards technology and very soon the reality as we know it will change.

"This requires us to work in a different way from the past and pushes us to understand the challenges that will control the jobs of the future.”

This month, Khalfan Belhoul, chief executive of Dubai Future Foundation, told The National that advances in technology would mean pupils could take lessons at any time and place.

She said pupils would be able to pick their lessons to suit their schedules.

It was a sentiment echoed by the Hussain Al Hammadi, the UAE Minister of Education, who on Tuesday said the government was planning to integrate more technology into the curriculum.

“Curriculums, projects and research will be enhanced with the use of smart systems,” Mr Al Hammadi said at Gess Dubai, an annual education show.

“The UAE is planning to almost double its investments in kindergarten enrolments as the initial phase of life plays a crucial role in shaping the personalities of the pupils, and their future.”

The ministry also plans to increase the number of internationally accredited academic programmes.

Samar Al Sayegh, early childhood programme manager at Tatweer Company for Educational Services, which creates content for the virtual nurseries in Saudi Arabia, said the initiative brought education to children in remote areas that did not have schools or who suffered from health issues and could not attend.

"They may be the waiting list or admitted at a hospital," she said.

Through the virtual nursery, which is open to Saudi citizens and residents, children can access age-appropriate educational content similar to what is provided at schools.

"The children do not get direct support from teachers but can upload projects and work on the platform, which is assessed by a teacher,"Ms Al Sayegh said.

"Even children enrolled at a school can access this application as a support.

"We know this is a critical age-group and we have to ensure what we provide is appropriate."

As children cannot be exposed to smartphones for long periods of time, the application automatically shuts the child out after they have used it for an hour.

Dr Rabaa Al Sumaiti, assistant undersecretary for the performance improvement sector at the UAE Ministry of Education, said virtual lessons were available to pupils under certain circumstances.

“Last year, a pupil was not in the country for medical reasons but went through school, attended the programme virtually, and received his certificate.”