UPDATE: UAE schools and universities to close for a month to contain coronavirus
Pupils at some public schools will try out a home-learning programme that could be introduced if government schools close to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
The 'Learning from Afar' programme will start with pupils from grades 5 to 12 over the next two days, the Ministry of Education said late on Monday.
In a series of tweets using the hashtag "coronavirus", officials said public schools would not close this week.
Normal classes will run on Wednesday but pupils in grades 5 to 8 will try out the distance-learning programme from 5pm to 7pm.
On Thursday, pupils in grades 9 to 12 will test the system from home. Teachers, however, must still attend school.
The ministry said distance learning was part of the “requirements of an Emirati school and to ensure the continuity of the learning process without any difficulties".
"Distance learning is considered a method of self-learning, which leads to strengthening the education system and ensuring its continuity,” the ministry said.
The decision does not affect private schools – but many operators are making their own plans in case the authorities tell them to suspend classes.
Private schools prepare their own home programmes
Gavin Walford-Wright, head of marketing and admissions at Taaleem, which runs 10 private schools in Dubai, said the group began testing a home teaching system last week.
The system would include live streaming, to allow teachers to talk to children.
"Home-learning programmes are already in place at Taaleem schools; for instance, Dubai British School uses Microsoft Teams. We would turn to these tools if needed," he said.
"Last week, we started stress testing the school network to make sure the bandwidth worked and could cope with the demand of simultaneous live streaming.
"We set up classrooms with an external connection so pupils could connect with teachers in a virtual classroom. The trial run went smoothly."
He said the main challenge is ensuring the internet connection is strong enough to allow theclasses to continue uninterrupted.
"The only other issue we could foresee with the full virtual experience is how to get materials to children in advance and keep them engaged," he said.
"An important part of the IB curriculum is the collaborative and community approach in the classroom. Materials are usually distributed in advance, studied, then teachers and pupils come face to face to discuss and analyse their findings. Part of that would be lost."
On Tuesday, Dubai’s private school regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, asked schools to respond to a questionnaire to assess readiness.
It asked if teachers had participated in remote learning training exercises and whether the technology was used throughout the year for assignments and projects. It also asked if software could track the number of students online and if video conferencing and live streaming was available.
Questions were also asked about disinfection of buses and school facilities.
Kamal Kalwani, chief executive of school operator Ambassador Education, said they had prepared for "a situation in case the Ministry of Education asks us to use distance learning".
“We are already using Google classrooms and, now we are looking at using distance learning through live online classes."
Videos on topics can also be recorded in advance and used to teach children.
'Live online classrooms'
Schools run by Ambassador Education already use Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams.
Google Classroom is an online service that helps create and grade assignments, while Microsoft Teams is an online platform through which people can chat, collaborate, store files, and have video meetings.
"With the current development, we will be increasing the number of topics and videos we cover in our bank," Mr Kalwani said.
"If the ministry tells us that schools have to shut down, and you have to use distance learning throughout the day, then the resources are ready.
"Most of of our pupils have their devices at home and they will be using their computer and iPads."
Dairne Fitzpatrick, head of the British School Al Hamra, under RAK Academy, was also preparing for distance learning on Tuesday.
"We have five campuses and we have chosen Google Classroom for grade two and three upwards," he said.
The younger pupils in the primary section will be using ClassDojo, which is an online platform used for communication between parents and staff.
"We know of various other countries that have closed schools; that was something we were talking about,” he said.
The school started preparing for online lessons last week "when there was talk of a possibility of closure".
The moves come after authorities imposed a two-week shutdown of nurseries across the country.
In Abu Dhabi, Mark Leppard, headmaster at the British School Al Khubairat, said it has been planning for the possible impact of closure for a few weeks.
“We have a distance learning plan in place ready to be shared with our families if there is a forced closure,” he said.
If the ministry tells us that schools have to shut down, and you have to use distance learning throughout the day, then the resources are ready
“Obviously, teacher interaction is important, but at a time where circumstances may not permit this, we are confident that we can continue effectively.”
The school would turn to online tools such as See-Saw for primary learning and Google Classroom for pupils in Year 6 to 13, if needed.
“We are in regular contact with UK exam boards and are awaiting feedback regarding plans which they are putting in place,” he said.
At a briefing held on Saturday, Minister of Education Hussain Al Hammadi said that nurseries in the UAE would close from March 1, as a precautionary measure to curb the spread of coronavirus, according to state news agency Wam.
Extra-curricular school activities such as field trips have also been cancelled until further notice and staff have been urged to be on alert for any pupil displaying flu-like symptoms.
Those who do appear unwell will be sent home as a matter of urgency.
The nationwide restriction came after a decision by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai's private schools' regulator,to order the cancellation of teacher events and any "internal and external" trips on Friday.
Officials took action after the total number of confirmed cases in the Emirates rose to 21 at the weekend, when two support staff in the country for the UAE Tour, a major cycling event, tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.
Additional reporting by Ruba Haza
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
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
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- 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
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Race%20card
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Company%20profile
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Results:
First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15
Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
The%20specs
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NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Company%20Profile
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NEW ARRIVALS
Benjamin Mendy (Monaco) - £51.75m (Dh247.94m)
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur) - £45.9m
Bernardo Silva (Monaco) - £45m
Ederson Moraes (Benfica) - £36m
Danilo (Real Madrid) - £27m
Douglas Luiz (Vasco de Gama) - £10.8m
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
- 1st Test India won by 304 runs at Galle
- 2nd Test India won by innings and 53 runs at Colombo
- 3rd Test August 12-16 at Pallekele
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
