Abu Dhabi schools relieved to drop Covid distancing and bubble rules


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Head teachers and pupils at private schools in the capital on Monday said they were happy that schools have opened with fewer social restrictions as Covid-19 cases decline steadily.

Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) announced protocols for private and charter schools and nurseries and said there would be no physical distancing requirements.

In the absence of bubbles, pupils and teachers are permitted to interact with each other and use different parts of a school building.

Sarah Weaver, principal at Al Mamoura Academy in Abu Dhabi, said: “Macro-bubbles don’t exist [this year] and that’s the most exciting thing for us as a school.

It opens up the whole school to all the children
Sarah Weaver,
principal, Al Mamoura Academy

"This is really exciting as it opens up the whole school to all the children. We have a campsite in the school and a 3D periodic table, so pupils across the whole school can access our facilities. This will really enhance learning and take it to another level.

"It’s not just the pupils in a particular bubble where the facility might exist who can use it, but everyone can go across the school."

Ms Weaver said staff across all sections of the school would now be able to interact, as many had no chance to get to know each other due to Covid restrictions in place until the last term.

"Improving learning and building relationships is a significant change after the easing of restrictions," she said.

She said new pupils had come in on Monday to meet their teachers.

“The first day back has been great," she said. "We have had our house mascots out, taking the nerves away from the first day of school."

Pupils at Al Mamoura Academy in Abu Dhabi return to school on Monday after the summer break. Victor Besa / The National
Pupils at Al Mamoura Academy in Abu Dhabi return to school on Monday after the summer break. Victor Besa / The National

Al Mamoura Academy is also launching a year of reading in which various year groups will participate.

Maryam Yassin, 16, and Sondos Yassin, 15, were excited, as Monday marked their first day at Al Mamoura Academy.

The sisters, who have moved from another private school in Abu Dhabi, said they had been learning online for the past two years and were eager to return to in-person learning.

“The first day was so good" said Maryam. "We met our teachers. It’s so nice to start studying and be in a school building again. It was difficult online.

“We are excited to start again and have fun at school. There are so many activities that we can do and which will help us learn more."

Sondos said she was excited to start school and interact with new people.

Dr Beno Kurien, principal at International Indian School - Abu Dhabi, said what pleased him most regarding was that social distancing has been removed.

"Even the floor stickers for social distancing have been removed," he said.

“It is just like pre-Covid times in school. This is easing things for the school so we can have more pupils on campus.

“Earlier there were restrictions when teachers wanted to conduct activities and there were limitations so each activity had to be done individually."

He said now pupils and teachers could collaborate more and learning could be greater fun.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Porsche Taycan Turbo specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

Torque: 1050Nm

Range: 450km

Price: Dh601,800

On sale: now

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The specs: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS

Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225

Engine: 5.2-litre V10

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm

Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km

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Started: July 2016

Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori

Based: Bangalore, India

Sector: Health & wellness

Size: 500 employees

Investment: $250 million

Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

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Saturday Spezia v Lazio (6pm), Juventus v Torino (9pm), Inter Milan v Bologna (7.45pm)

Sunday Verona v Cagliari (3.30pm), Parma v Benevento, AS Roma v Sassuolo, Udinese v Atalanta (all 6pm), Crotone v Napoli (9pm), Sampdoria v AC Milan (11.45pm)

Monday Fiorentina v Genoa (11.45pm)

In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
  • Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000 
  • Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000 
  • Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000 
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  • Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000 
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  • Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000 
  • Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000 
  • Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
  • Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
  • Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The Pope's itinerary

Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport


Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial


Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport

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TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000

Engine 3.6L V6

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm

Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

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Race card:

6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.

7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.

7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.

8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.

8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.

9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.

10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.

How do Sim card scams work?

Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.

They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.

They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.

The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.

The specs: 2018 Jaguar F-Type Convertible

Price, base / as tested: Dh283,080 / Dh318,465

Engine: 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm

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Fuel economy, combined: 7.2L / 100km

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The Internet
Hive Mind
four stars

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

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Qosty Byogaani

Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny

Four stars

Bombshell

Director: Jay Roach

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie 

Four out of five stars 

Brief scores:

Toss: Sindhis, elected to field first

Kerala Knights 103-7 (10 ov)

Parnell 59 not out; Tambe 5-15

Sindhis 104-1 (7.4 ov)

Watson 50 not out, Devcich 49

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

War and the virus
Updated: August 29, 2022, 12:17 PM`