Many UAE private schools have decided to go ahead with International Baccalaureate and GCSE exams which will be held in-person on their campuses on Thursday, despite an extreme weather forecast.
The Emirates has called for remote work and distance learning to be introduced on Thursday and Friday as the country prepares for heavy rain and thunderstorms.
While some schools have applied to postpone exams, many have decided to go ahead with emergency measures such as enlisting extra invigilators and arranging additional transport options.
We hope our students and invigilators face minimum disruption and limited travel time
Fatima Martin,
principal at Gems New Millennium School
Richard Drew, chairman of the IB Association of UAE schools and principal at Jumeira Baccalaureate School, said the majority of schools offering the IB diploma programme had decided to go ahead with exams this week.
He said GCSE exams had not started at his school and oral language exams scheduled this week would be postponed to next week.
More than 50 pupils will sit for their Maths IB paper on Thursday. The school asked pupils to arrive early on campus.
“Our building is an old one and fared very well [during the rains in April] but where we've had leaks and things like that, we've tried to make sure that our maintenance team have cleared leaves out of gutters, released drains and all of those important things,” said Mr Drew.
“We tend to get floods in the car park so, for tomorrow morning, because we've only got grade 12 pupils coming in and a few members of staff, we're trying to steer clear of the main entrance and use our side entrances.
“We will be in school by 6am to assess the condition of the building, the safety of the building, and the accessibility of the building.”
Better for pupils
Leigh Girven, principal at Greenfield International School Dubai, also confirmed that International Baccalaureate exams would go ahead on their campus on Thursday.
“We feel that is in the best interest of the pupils,” said Ms Girven.
“We plan to have extra invigilators coming in just in case some are not able to make it in.
“In the unfortunate case that some pupils are affected by flooding, we have our deployment co-ordinator who can look at alternative arrangements.
“We will make a final decision about whether the exams go ahead tomorrow morning.”
Fatima Martin, principal at Gems New Millennium School, said both parents and pupils are keen to continue with their exams.
“We have been working very closely with our parents and School Transport Services to organise transport to and from school on both days,” she said.
“We hope our students and invigilators face minimum disruption and limited travel time over the coming days.”
Simon Herbert, head of Gems International School, said: “The Gems Education group, and all our IB schools, have worked closely with the IB Organisation and the KHDA to ensure that our IB DP examinations take place as planned on campus.
“We also have plans to deal with ‘adverse conditions’ and all other eventualities.
“For now, we can reassure our Grade 12s, and their families, that our IB examinations will take place as previously announced.”
Jumeirah English Speaking School sent a note to parents on Wednesday confirming that the International Baccalaureate and GCSE exams would still be held this week.
Contingency plans
Not all schools will be going ahead with the exams on Thursday.
Jane Clewlow, head of senior school at Brighton College Dubai, said they have a GCSE Maths exam on Thursday and an A-Level History paper scheduled on Friday.
The school has applied to the board to have the exam on Thursday postponed until Friday.
“That's what we're hoping for. We've not heard back yet from Cambridge, but we're hoping,” said Ms Clewlow.
She feared staff could “struggle to get in the building” based on Thursday's forecast but is optimistic the stormy weather will have cleared enough by Friday for an exam to go ahead.
Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in the UAE - in pictures
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Healthy tips to remember
Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?
Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
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The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
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Date started: Okadoc, 2018
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How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
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