UAE parents have backed plans for schoolchildren to return to the classroom for the start of the new academic year – providing it is safe to do so.
Schools closed their doors in March to stem the spread of coronavirus and agreed to adopt distance learning for more than a million pupils across the country.
On Monday, education chiefs confirmed they were drawing up plans to reopen schools in September with strict safety measures in place, including reduced class sizes, pupil temperature checks, a ban on sharing food and a 30 per cent cap on school bus passengers.
Dubai's school pupils and university students should expect to return to classrooms and lecture halls after the summer, the city's education regulator said.
My children keep asking me: 'When are we going back?'
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority said the learning experience would look different and to expect a mix of in-class learning and home study.
Abir Saud, 37, a mother of three in Dubai, said it was important for children to return to normality as soon as possible.
"We cannot keep our children from the outside world and with things opening up, it seems quite ridiculous not to send them to school," she said.
"There is also weighing the effects of distance learning on our children's psychology and how they interact and learn from being with other children and professional teachers.
"My twins are in foundation stage and will not benefit from any sort of lessons on iPads and Zoom.
“We had a few trials with their nursery and it just does not work. They got so bored. My seven-year-old hates online learning and she hates staring at her iPad and not being with her friends."
Ms Saud said she was not in favour of blended learning.
"The effect of distance learning so far has been negative and I do not wish it to continue as it affects the wellbeing of my children," she said.
Ms Saud said schools would need to take to ensure continuous sanitation of premises and monitor children for any sign of illness.
Clementina Kongslund, 42, a Romanian with two children aged seven and nine in Dubai, said her daughters, Valentina, nine, and Benedicte, seven, were eager to return to school but she would want them to return only when it is safe to do so.
Ms Kongslund said schools should offer the choice of in-person lessons and online schooling to parents, as some may want to be careful.
"If some children have low immunity, parents may prefer to keep them home. How will the schools help these children?" said Ms Kongslund.
"My children keep asking me: 'When are we going back?' My husband and I are working full time, so we have so many things to consider now.
"I would have to hire a tutor for online learning and I would expect at least a 25-per-cent discount in fees," said the mother who pays close to Dh90,000 in school fees for her children.
She said schools should install sanitisers, ensure pupils wear masks properly, and maintain social distance when they open.
Radwa Allabban, Egyptian-British managing director of an Abu Dhabi communications consultancy, is the mother of three boys aged four, six and 10. She said she wanted to send her children back to school full-time but only when a vaccine was available.
“I would be happy to send my kids to school in September, provided the school can perhaps arrange for reduced class capacity to maintain a degree of social distancing," Ms Allabban said.
"So, if the school would have half the children for two days and then the other half for the other two days of the week, that would be reasonable in the short term.
"My husband and I tried to support our children with distance learning, but that isn’t sustainable in the long term. Both of us work full-time and have demanding careers, so we feel that our children will miss out on valuable education and personal development if they spend another school year at home.”
Alison Rego, 37, from India, said she would be happy to send her seven-year-old daughter back to school in Sharjah in September if the number of coronavirus cases continued to decline.
She hopes to initially send her child back to school for a few days each week to gradually get her back into the classroom environment, but expects discounts on fees to be offered.
“If I am sending my child to school for only 50 per cent of the time, I expect that the school would only charge me 50 per cent of the fees,” she said.
“If I am only sending my child to school for half the time, how can I be expected to pay the entire amount?
“I have not re-registered my daughter at her school and I will evaluate the situation in August and make a decision.
"If the number of coronavirus cases is on the rise at that time, I would not want to send my child to school."
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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
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
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPAD%20PRO%20(12.9%22%2C%202022)
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Quick%20facts
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
More coverage from the Future Forum
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
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club race card
5pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
5.30pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic (PA) Prestige; Dh110,000; 1,400m
6pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship (PA) Listed; Dh180,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 2,200m
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh100,000; 2,400m
HER%20FIRST%20PALESTINIAN
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize
This year’s winners of the US$4 million Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize will be recognised and rewarded in Abu Dhabi on January 15 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week, which runs in the capital from January 13 to 20.
From solutions to life-changing technologies, the aim is to discover innovative breakthroughs to create a new and sustainable energy future.
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
Juventus v Napoli, Sunday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Match on Bein Sports
