Children at Repton School, Al Barsha in Dubai.
Children at Repton School, Al Barsha in Dubai.
Pupils returned to in-person lessons in Dubai this academic year. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Pupils returned to in-person lessons in Dubai this academic year. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Learners arrive for classes at Repton School in Al Barsha.
Learners arrive for classes at Repton School in Al Barsha.
Zoe Woolley, headmistress at Repton Al Barsha, welcomes pupils as they arrive for school.
Zoe Woolley, headmistress at Repton Al Barsha, welcomes pupils as they arrive for school.
Children follow Covid-19 safety protocols at Repton school.
Children follow Covid-19 safety protocols at Repton school.
Repton Al Barsha school has 770 pupils back in class this term.
Repton Al Barsha school has 770 pupils back in class this term.
Dubai schools have bounced back from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dubai schools have bounced back from the Covid-19 pandemic.
A young pupil holds her fathers hand as she arrives at Repton Al Barsha.
A young pupil holds her fathers hand as she arrives at Repton Al Barsha.
Children listen to a class led by Mrs Wright at Repton Al Barsha.
Children listen to a class led by Mrs Wright at Repton Al Barsha.
Nursery pupils at The British School Al Khubairat, in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Nursery pupils at The British School Al Khubairat, in Abu Dhabi. Khushnum Bhandari/ The National
Covid-19 safety measures are followed closely at The British School Al Khubairat, in Abu Dhabi.
Covid-19 safety measures are followed closely at The British School Al Khubairat, in Abu Dhabi.

UAE

Education

Schools primed to adapt to UAE's weekend changes

The new weekend coincides with schools returning to full capacity after the pandemic

Anam Rizvi
Anam Rizvi

December 08, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Schools are braced for a busy end to the year as they seek to restructure learning schedules in line with the introduction of the UAE's new working week.

Public and private schools will adopt the new four-and-half-day week, which will start on Mondays and finish with a half day on Fridays, from the start of the new term on January 3.

School leaders are moving quickly to alter timetables, school hours and breaks to ensure pupils do not miss out on learning as the transition is made to a shorter week.

The new-look school week will be introduced for the start of 2022, as schools return to full capacity for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

School heads are confident of their ability to adapt quickly and efficiently after rising to the challenge of the coronavirus outbreak, which caused significant disruption to the education sector.

Pupils arriving on the first day back of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Nearly 13,000 pupils went back for in-person classes across three campuses. All photos: Ruel Pableo for The National
Pupils arriving on the first day back of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Nearly 13,000 pupils went back for in-person classes across three campuses. All photos: Ruel Pableo for The National
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Close to 95 per cent of these pupils were returning to in-person schooling for the first time in 18 months.
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Close to 95 per cent of these pupils were returning to in-person schooling for the first time in 18 months.
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Pupils were excited to meet their friends and teachers again.
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai. Pupils were excited to meet their friends and teachers again.
Pupils go through the proper sanitation protocol on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils go through the proper sanitation protocol on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils arriving in school buses on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils arriving in school buses on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils arriving on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils queuing to enter their classrooms on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Teacher Usha Devi on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Teacher Usha Devi on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Students on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Students on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Punit MK Vasu, chief executive of the Indian High School, on the first day of in-person learning.
Punit MK Vasu, chief executive of the Indian High School, on the first day of in-person learning.
Pupils listen to their teacher on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Pupils listen to their teacher on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Priyal Babariya was one of the pupils to attend on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Priyal Babariya was one of the pupils to attend on the first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School in Oud Metha, Dubai.
Sian Shinjo, a 10th grader at the school, said: 'I am a bit nervous as everything has changed a lot. I am sure it will be safe, and the school has kept us informed.'
Sian Shinjo, a 10th grader at the school, said: 'I am a bit nervous as everything has changed a lot. I am sure it will be safe, and the school has kept us informed.'
Rohi Ilyas, a mother-of-two and an entrepreneur, said her children had studied at home for 18 months.
Rohi Ilyas, a mother-of-two and an entrepreneur, said her children had studied at home for 18 months.
Utkarsh Chaube, father of a 13-year-old pupil at the Indian High School, said his son spent about 10 to 12 hours in a day in front of a screen when studying remotely.
Utkarsh Chaube, father of a 13-year-old pupil at the Indian High School, said his son spent about 10 to 12 hours in a day in front of a screen when studying remotely.
Pupils on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School.
Pupils on their first day of in-person learning at the Indian High School.
Sathya Lakshmi, 15, said seeing everyone back together was the most special part of returning to in-person classes.
Sathya Lakshmi, 15, said seeing everyone back together was the most special part of returning to in-person classes.
Uma Madhumohan, whose daughter Tejasvi is a 10th grader at the school, said her daughter was excited to get back to learning.
Uma Madhumohan, whose daughter Tejasvi is a 10th grader at the school, said her daughter was excited to get back to learning.
'I am on cloud nine. It’s been one-and-a-half-years since I have been on campus for in-person classes and I have missed it and my friends terribly,' said Nehan Naseem Ali, 12.
'I am on cloud nine. It’s been one-and-a-half-years since I have been on campus for in-person classes and I have missed it and my friends terribly,' said Nehan Naseem Ali, 12.
Pupils back at work inside the classroom.
Pupils back at work inside the classroom.
'Having the pupils back is unbelievable. I feel ecstatic,' said Punit MK Vasu, chief executive of the Indian High School.
'Having the pupils back is unbelievable. I feel ecstatic,' said Punit MK Vasu, chief executive of the Indian High School.
Indian High school
Indian High school

Scheduling new timetables

From rearranging break times to changing timings of periods to fit into the new-look week, teachers are busy planning before schools close for the winter break.

“It may be matter of maybe 100 minutes a week, but we're doing some tweaks and modifications to the timetable to make that work. That's probably the biggest logistical change,” said Fiona Cottam, principal at Hartland International School.

"I guess the biggest challenge is the sudden change.

"We just have to be very adaptable very quickly. But, I think that the pandemic has taught us a lot about adaptability and responding to things with speed and with ease."

Fiona Cottam, principal at Hartland International School. Pawan Singh / The National
Fiona Cottam, principal at Hartland International School. Pawan Singh / The National

At International Indian School Abu Dhabi, on January 3 all pupils will return to in-person lessons for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

Beno Kurien, principal at the school, said they were working on plans to ensure the syllabus was completed on time.

“We are waiting for clear instructions ... so if it's a half day what will the school timings be,” Mr Kurien said.

“We will plan internally and will have to change the timetable. We have 35 periods and now have to cut these short.”

Joseph Kotarski, superintendent for the Dubai Schools group, which has two campuses in the emirate, said that traditionally most schools had an early finish on Thursday.

“With this change of finishing at noon we are losing out an hour to an hour and 40 minutes," Mr Kotarski said.

Joseph Kotarski, superintendent at Dubai Schools.
Joseph Kotarski, superintendent at Dubai Schools.

“We're looking at ways to make that time up throughout the week … that could include changing some of the break times, modifying assembly timings, offering flipped learning opportunities to pupils.

“So instead of having a 25-minute break, we might reduce it to a 15-minute break to get that extra 10 minutes somewhere into the classroom.

"It's just the quick turnaround time for modifying schedules from a systems perspective."

Schools working to rearrange logistics and bus transport

Ms Cottam said the changes could mean all schools would finish about the same time on Fridays, leading to increased traffic on the roads.

“There could be some challenges for some parents in terms of work and the time to finish work from the time they have to collect their children," Ms Cottam said.

"We will have to work with the bus companies to look at schedules and how to manage this, among other things."

Hundreds of thousands of pupils across the UAE will begin their new school year on August 29, and traffic congestion is expected during rush hours. Photo: Antonie Robertson / The National
Hundreds of thousands of pupils across the UAE will begin their new school year on August 29, and traffic congestion is expected during rush hours. Photo: Antonie Robertson / The National
School children catch the bus in Dubai. The National
School children catch the bus in Dubai. The National
Traffic along Hessa street in Dubai as parents and drivers pick up school children at the end of the school day last year. Photo: Antonie Robertson / The National
Traffic along Hessa street in Dubai as parents and drivers pick up school children at the end of the school day last year. Photo: Antonie Robertson / The National
School bus on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
School bus on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. Pawan Singh / The National
Children cross road to get to school. Photo: The National
Children cross road to get to school. Photo: The National

She said making these modifications during the winter break may be difficult.

"I think the start of term will probably be a little bit busier than we might have hoped."

At the Indian High Group of Schools, which has more then 13,000 pupils, a majority rely on school transport.

Mr Vasu said they would have to tweak and bring about changes in their bus transport system to help pupils.

Longer school days

Some schools are looking at the possibility of extending days of learning to make sure pupils are able to finish their syllabus on time.

Punit MK Vasu, chief executive officer of the Indian High Group of Schools, said the school had a head start because 1,200 pupils at their school already enjoyed a day and a half off every week since 2018 to pursue hobbies. The programme is part of Rahhal, the KHDA's personalised education initiative.

Read more

UAE school week to shift in line with weekend change

“We're looking at the expectation that the working day will become longer. We will have to have longer hours but the logistics in that is something we have to work on,” Mr Vasu said.

Mr Vasu said he would explore the possibility of resuming distance learning on Fridays, if approved by education regulators.

A boost to well-being

Heads of schools believe the extra half day off will enhance pupils' well-being and creativity.

"We have got some fantastic feedback from Rahal parents as to how it improves the well-being of pupils," Mr Vasu said.

"This will allow learning to happen beyond the classroom and will allow technology to come in a big way. This will allow parents to spend more time with their children. It's good for the whole ecosystem."

At Dubai Schools, Joseph Kotarski, said teachers would also be off after midday on Fridays so that they are able to attend Friday prayers.

"We fully intend on finishing the day at 12pm [on Friday] in line with the government announcement. We might spend an extra half hour after school on one of the other days, just to ensure that we can cover our professional development and community learning needs," Mr Kotarski said.

Schools intend to provide support and care after hours for pupils whose parents may be working on Fridays.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go

The flights

Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return. 

The trek

Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required. 

UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

more from Janine di Giovanni
Brief scoreline:

Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first

England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66

South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12

Kareem Shaheen on Canada
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog

Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981

Profession: Driver

Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)

Favourite drink: chai karak

Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”

Poacher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERichie%20Mehta%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nimisha%20Sajayan%2C%20Roshan%20Mathew%2C%20Dibyendu%20Bhattacharya%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS

5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Samau Xmnsor, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Ottoman, Szczepan Mazur, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Sharkh, Patrick Cosgrave, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 85,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Yaraa, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
7pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Maaly Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Jinjal, Fabrice Veron, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,000m
Winner: Al Sail, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
The more serious side of specialty coffee

While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.

The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.

Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”

One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.

Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms. 

MATCH INFO

Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')

Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Naga
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Kamindu Mendis bio

Full name: Pasqual Handi Kamindu Dilanka Mendis

Born: September 30, 1998

Age: 20 years and 26 days

Nationality: Sri Lankan

Major teams Sri Lanka's Under 19 team

Batting style: Left-hander

Bowling style: Right-arm off-spin and slow left-arm orthodox (that's right!)

Takreem Awards winners 2021

Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)

Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)

Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)

Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)

Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)

Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)

Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)

Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)

Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)

Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)

Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)

Updated: December 08, 2021, 12:10 PM`
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