When you are back to school, you are back to life. That is was what Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director general of Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority said as he spoke last week about the importance of "celebrating the human side of the schools reopening."
As parents of the over 300,000 children going back to school this week prepare young students for this extraordinary return, schools are also preparing for the challenge of having a portion of pupils be present in class and others not. It places huge stress on the system and is much more difficult to co-ordinate a hybrid system than if everyone was either in the classroom or learning from home. Despite numerous safety precautions – including the testing of more than 15,000 teachers and staff across 205 private schools and over 56,000 tests in the capital before pupils return to the classroom – parents can have their children stay home and study virtually if they are not at ease yet sending them back to school. This flexibility in hybrid teaching or blended learning is no easy managerial task.
Before schools go back in session tomorrow, we should reflect on exactly how arduous it is for schools to deliver the high standards of education expected of them while at the same time enforcing social distancing, regular temperature checks, and the round-the-clock sanitisation and hygiene checks that by now have become the norm for many of us.
Despite the frustrations of parents keeping up with frequent changes in protocol, it is important to bear in mind that schools are working on the best advice and events as they develop. It is also an incredible challenge for schools to keep up with enforcing revised guidelines as new facts come to light on ways to deliver a better teaching experience while at the same time keeping classrooms safe.
However, while reopening schools under these conditions is an extraordinarily demanding undertaking, it is the right thing to do. Pupils have been under tremendous stress. They need to resume their education in contexts as familiar to them as possible. It is essential for their overall health and well-being. They need to see their teachers, their classmates and friends, and swap stories and updates in person about these past few months.
The success of schools reopening then comes down a great deal to individual responsibility and adhering to these guidelines
Under these trying conditions, educators are doing their best. Schools have been effective at communication, repeatedly assuring parents via emails of all the measures being taken to keep their children safe. Health risks are being assessed and kept in check and the ripple effect of even as little as two infections are systematically calculated in the clearly established guidelines.
Protocols are updated in keeping with the most stringent health guidelines. The success of schools reopening then comes down a great deal to individual responsibility and adhering to these guidelines. Parents, teachers, administrators and pupils must co-operate and together work to make a success of this new academic year.
No doubt there will be instances of teething problems and strain adjusting to this new method of schooling, for all concerned. It becomes then even more imperative for all those who make up the education system to be patient while pupils settle in.
As a whole generation enters a second academic year in a world still battling a pandemic, everyone affected by the reopening of schools needs to call upon their resolve and fortitude to brace this unusual regimen for learning.
It is, as Dr Abdulla Al Karam said, an exciting time. And with all the safety measures that are in place, we should welcome this important new phase and lend our support and co-operation to parents, children and educators. It may not be a regular back-to-school year, but it will be a defining one.
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
'HIJRAH%3A%20IN%20THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20PROPHET'
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight (Wednesday), BeIN Sports
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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HAJJAN
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Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
