Head teachers have welcomed the lifting of face mask rules and said it will have a positive impact on children's development.
From Wednesday, schools nationwide will not require children or teachers to wear masks. The rules are part of a major overhaul of coronavirus rules.
Rebecca Coulter, principal at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, said this was a day school principals had been waiting for.
“We are thrilled at the news that masks will no longer need to be worn in school,” said Ms Coulter.
We are looking forward to making the most of seeing each and being able to read other’s facial expressions
Clare Turnbull,
Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai
“It will be great to see people’s faces, smiles and reactions.
“For our younger pupils, those in years one and two, learning in masks is all they have known.
“It will be wonderful for them to see the faces of their teachers and their peers and to learn without the confines of a mask.”
Private school regulators in the Emirates said face masks are no longer needed indoors after the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority relaxed Covid-19 rules on Monday.
Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge confirmed it would follow the new guidelines.
“Face masks are no longer mandatory for private schools, early childhood centres, universities and training institutes in Dubai. Smiles remain compulsory,” tweeted the emirate's private education regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
According to the new rules, masks will only be required in places of worship, in hospitals and on public transport from Wednesday, September 28.
Clare Turnbull, principal at Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, said she was delighted and looked forward to confirmation from the KHDA.
“We are sure wearing of masks indoors will become optional and it will have a very positive impact on the social development of pupils,” Ms Turnbull said.
She also said the removal of masks would help cut down on anxiety levels in pupils.
“I think it’s a relief that we have got to that stage where the government feels this is the right next step for the population here,” said Ms Turnbull.
“We are looking forward to making the most of seeing each pupil and being able to read others’ facial expressions. That will enhance the learning of our pupils and their well-being.”
Ms Coulter said it was likely some pupils who had only attended school during the pandemic would feel anxious about coming to school without a mask.
“For pupils who remember life without masks, it will be great. You get so much from reading people’s expressions and it will be important for pupils to have that full connection again,” she said.
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2
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Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks
Following fashion
Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.
Losing your balance
You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.
Being over active
If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.
Running your losers
Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.
Selling in a panic
If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.
Timing the market
Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
