Head teachers in Abu Dhabi are devising "return to campus" plans as they prepare to welcome pupils to classrooms after the summer holidays.
Authorities in the capital have issued a set of safety measures that must be met, including staggering attendance, arranging classes into "bubbles", strict behaviour regimes and suspending physical education lessons.
Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), the emirate’s private school regulator, said head teachers would decide if pupils should attend physical classes daily or if study time should be reduced to half days, alternate days or weeks.
Parents want schools to be open and I think we went as far as we could with distance learning
Schools will require approval from Adek for the model they select and must inform parents by July 30 at the latest.
Heads of schools believe they are well equipped to face the challenges of keeping children safe when they return to the campus.
“We are looking at having half the pupils in school one day and the rest learning from home,” said Annahita Pagdiwalla, principal of Mayoor Private School which has 2,000 pupils.
“They will be switched round the next day.”
All pupils and staff should be tested for Covid-19 before returning to school.
Mandatory masks for children, temperature checks before entering the building, social distancing of 1.5 metres for all and an intensive cleaning programme are some of the key guidelines.
Ms Pagdiwalla said following a staggered approach to attendance will help in maintaining social distancing.
“We will have 15 tables and chairs in each classroom,” she said.
But making children wear face masks all the time could be a challenge.
“There is a worry the pupils, especially the younger ones, will take off their masks,” she said.
“It’s going to be important that the staff keep on top of it.”
She said parents were uncertain about sending children back to school.
“Most of the parents I have spoken with since Tuesday’s announcement feel it’s too early to send their children back to school,” she said.
“I would say around 70 per cent of the parents are very apprehensive about it.
“But I think they’ll come back around when they see it being implemented properly.”
Authorities have said all children must be enrolled in school for the 2020/2021 academic year.
Any child taken out of school runs the risk of having to repeat the grade once they rejoin the system, said Adek.
Full-time distance learning is only available to children who have a health condition that puts them at risk.
Brendan Aspell, principal of Wales International school in Abu Dhabi, said pupils will be split in two sets to enforce social distancing.
Half the class will learn a subject in one room, while the other half will be taught a different subject in another room.
“We are lucky because we are a new school with a capacity for 2,000 but we only have 850 pupils at the moment,” said Mr Aspell.
“That means we can have classrooms with no more than 15 desks in them.
“We are looking at keeping the pupils in the same classroom each day with the teachers being the ones who change rooms depending on the subject.”
Mr Aspell said the precautionary measures being taken in schools is similar to those in restaurants when they reopened in June.
“We want to keep the school open five days a week. Obviously there will be a reduced timetable though as subjects like PE will no longer take place,” he said.
“Parents want schools to be open and I think we went as far as we could with distance learning. I’m not sure it’s a realistic option to keep it going.”
Mr Aspell said the final plan would depend on how many teachers are able to return to the UAE after the summer break.
“Some staff members went home for the summer to see their families because the Easter holidays had been moved to prepare for online learning,” he said.
“They hadn’t seen their families for a long time so we will have to see how many manage to get back.”
Aldar Education, which runs several schools in the emirate, has undertaken an extensive disinfection programme before their reopening in September.
“We are ready to welcome pupils and staff back under the new reopening plans and revised learning models,” said Dave Taylor, director of operations.
“Our schools will look slightly different when we reopen, but we have plans in place to educate our pupils and parents on these changes.”
Kelvin Hornsby, principal of Gems Cambridge International School in Abu Dhabi, said the Adek guidelines were clear.
“The physical, social and emotional benefits of being in a school building simply cannot be replaced,” he said.
“The requirements to ensure the safety of all children are exceptionally clear and all Gems Education schools are already planning and practicing to ensure the highest levels of health and safety standards not just in school but across all services such as school transport and catering.”
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Joy%20Ride%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adele%20Lim%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAshley%20Park%2C%20Sherry%20Cola%2C%20Stephanie%20Hsu%2C%20Sabrina%20Wu%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
The%20specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E261hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400Nm%20at%201%2C750-4%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C999%20(VX%20Luxury)%3B%20from%20Dh149%2C999%20(VX%20Black%20Gold)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
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.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Michael%20Knights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2026%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
