Schools across the country will be inspected to determine how well they are delivering e-learning classes.
Inspectors will be able to jump into virtual classes to observe teachers and pupils, while principals will be interviewed by officials.
The Ministry of Education and Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah's education regulators will assess public and private schools this month.
Each school will be subject to virtual inspections lasting about five hours.
I am certain the regulators will be aware of the pressure teachers and leaders, pupils and parents are under at this point of time
News of the checks came in a post on the website of Dubai private school regulator the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
"The Distance Learning Evaluation has been developed to create shared expectations of distance learning for schools, parents and students and to provide schools with feedback in order to help them improve key aspects of their provision," KHDA said.
"It will include online meetings with the principal and senior leadership team, as well as remote observation of lessons. Schools will be given prior notice of an evaluation."
Inspectors will focus on how pupils learn remotely and their general well-being, how teachers monitor pupils' progress and how schools are now led and managed, KHDA said.
Alan Williamson, chief executive of Taaleem, the country's second largest private school operator with 13 schools, said the inspections were a good opportunity to reflect on the major changes seen in the past two months.
"I am certain the regulators will be aware of the pressure teachers and leaders, pupils and parents are under at this point of time," he told The National.
"And while we fully understand and support the need for the Distance Learning Evaluation to ensure high standards, I am confident from our experience in the pilot that this will be approached empathetically by all involved, given the challenges that some families are currently facing.”
Neil Matthews, principal of Gems Wellington Academy Al Khail, said his school has already reviewed and refined distance learning as the programme has continued.
“This has been in response to feedback from pupils, parents and teachers and our internal quality assurance and monitoring processes," he said.
Annual inspections are seen as crucial to raising standards but also allow private schools to raise fees.
The amount each school can increase fees by each year depends on the rating they are given, with those rated very good or excellent allowed the largest rises.
In February, Dubai's regulator froze fees for the academic 2021-2022 to provide families with some financial relief.
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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.
Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
