Some UAE private schools have started vaccination drives to ensure pupils aged 16 and above receive the Covid-19 shot.
Education leaders believe immunising eligible pupils is the key to helping them and their classmates feel secure as they prepare for university.
UAE authorities have urged those aged 16 and above to take the Covid-19 vaccine to help break the chain of infection.
And principals believe the move will return a sense of normalcy and more social interaction on campus.
The vaccine goes a long way in protecting them. There is a resurgence of hope and optimism which encourages us
Pali Nahal, acting vice principal at Uptown International School, said about 100 pupils there had received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under the initiative.
The school is part of education provider Taaleem, which booked shots for pupils at Dubai Health Authority clinics. Teachers accompanied them to the appointments.
About 250 pupils at Taaleem schools have been immunised against Covid-19.
“Getting the vaccine will give pupils reassurance and security, especially at the end of the year,” Ms Nahal said.
She said vaccination was a priority for the school, not least so social integration could resume.
Gems Education carried out two inoculation drives in March and in April.
Teresa Varman, principal at Gems Millennium School Sharjah, said its pupils had the first dose of the vaccine as part of a group-wide initiative at its sister school in Dubai, Gems New Millennium School Al Khail, in early April.
The school sought parents’ permission and once the consent forms were signed, arranged for their children to have the vaccine.
“I think pupils being vaccinated takes us all one step closer to normalcy,” said Ms Varman.
“The vaccine goes a long way in protecting them. There is a resurgence of hope and optimism, which encourages us.”
Ms Varman said about 90 children, close to 60 per cent of those eligible, received the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine and will soon have their second ones.
“We held a graduation for them because most of them had taken the vaccine,” said Ms Varman.
Final-year pupils attended the on-campus graduation ceremony, which included farewell speeches.
Pupils who had not had the vaccine were required to undergo a Covid-19 test to attend the event.
Most of the 235 teaching and administrative staff at the school have had the shot.
Santosh Hadinaru, health, safety and environment Manager at Gems Education, said it had encouraged parents of pupils aged 16 or older to have them immunised.
“Having more of our eligible pupils vaccinated reduces the risk and prevents the spread of infection within the school community,” said Mr Hadinaru.
“This ultimately gives peace of mind to parents who know that their children are protected now.”
Gems helped pupils, their parents and family members be vaccinated through school initiatives.
Mr Hadinaru said the group was planning more vaccination drives.
Meanwhile, more than eight in 10 private school teachers in Dubai have received their first dose.
In January, 60 per cent of staff at private schools – 15,000 people – in Abu Dhabi received the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine.
They were administered during a two-week drive organised by Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, which regulates such schools in the emirate.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
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Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community
• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style
“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.
Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.
From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”
• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International
"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."
• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."
• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com
"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.
His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.
Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."
• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher
"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”
• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org
"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."
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Credit Score explained
What is a credit score?
In the UAE your credit score is a number generated by the Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB), which represents your credit worthiness – in other words, your risk of defaulting on any debt repayments. In this country, the number is between 300 and 900. A low score indicates a higher risk of default, while a high score indicates you are a lower risk.
Why is it important?
Financial institutions will use it to decide whether or not you are a credit risk. Those with better scores may also receive preferential interest rates or terms on products such as loans, credit cards and mortgages.
How is it calculated?
The AECB collects information on your payment behaviour from banks as well as utilitiy and telecoms providers.
How can I improve my score?
By paying your bills on time and not missing any repayments, particularly your loan, credit card and mortgage payments. It is also wise to limit the number of credit card and loan applications you make and to reduce your outstanding balances.
How do I know if my score is low or high?
By checking it. Visit one of AECB’s Customer Happiness Centres with an original and valid Emirates ID, passport copy and valid email address. Liv. customers can also access the score directly from the banking app.
How much does it cost?
A credit report costs Dh100 while a report with the score included costs Dh150. Those only wanting the credit score pay Dh60. VAT is payable on top.
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
