Parents of students in kindergarten confirmed that private schools have intensified advertisements about the continuing registration and admission of students in the stage «KG1» and «KG2» for the next academic year, noting that they have paid their children's registration fees in kindergarten, which amounts to 5% of the value of tuition fees, but they They are pledging to complete the payment of expenses by returning education to schools again.
In detail, parents of students on the "groups" of parents, on social media, stressed that their children will not be enrolled in kindergarten for the next academic year 2020-2021, if the distance education system continues to be implemented, noting that it is difficult for kindergarten students to understand the idea of distance education, in addition to To not compulsory education at this age, and to wait for the study to return to its traditional form and register them in KG2 directly or in the first grade.
The parents of the students agreed that their young children are not aware of the distance education process at this young age, and as soon as they sit in front of the computer they start to play and not focus, noting that the nurseries tried to apply this model after the decision to suspend schooling was issued in the nurseries, but the students did not respond, and did The majority of nurseries cease providing distance education services.
They pointed out that the time period for interactive education remotely in the kindergarten stage and the first episode does not exceed an hour per day, and the materials are notes in PDFK format, or educational videos from the Internet, and therefore they can take charge of teaching their children at home, especially as children absorb The explanation from the father or mother is more than receiving the information through the computer.
Parents of students attributed this decision to four main reasons, including the non-compulsory registration of children at this age, the high prices of schools, and the impact of income of many families as a result of the repercussions of the "Corona" crisis, in addition to the difficulty of convincing children that the school moved to the computer screen.
For its part, the Department of Education and Knowledge told «Emirates Today» that the kindergarten stage is very important in the educational process for students in order to prepare them for the first grade and beyond, explaining that at this stage, the child acquires a variety of skills, where it is established and equipped to start a stage Basic education is successfully completed, so schools provide specialized educational programs for kindergarten students.
The department stated that with the transition to distance education at the beginning of the current semester, many schools have updated their educational programs and plans to ensure continuity of education for students in the kindergarten stage, advising the students ’families to communicate with schools and inquire about the distance education programs that they provide for the kindergarten stage and compare them with each other. Where schools offer different programs, according to the curriculum they follow, and the educational outcomes that aim to empower the child during this stage.
And the department added: “We realize that distance education requires an additional effort from students’ students compared to the traditional education process in the classroom, and this may discourage parents from registering their children in the kindergarten stage, but we confirm that the kindergarten stage is very important in the educational process of the child And, although registering a child at this stage is not a necessary condition for registering him in the first grade, this will not allow him to move to the basic education stage smoothly, which will negatively affect the child’s performance in the first grade due to the difficulties that he may face in terms of adapting to a method New life, or follow lessons and educational attainment ».
She continued: «It is necessary to warn that the student who will not be enrolled in the kindergarten stage will be later than his peers who have gone through the kindergarten stage and have established it as required, in addition to paying attention to the fact that schools give priority to registration in the first grade for students transferred from kindergarten, Therefore, parents may have difficulty registering their children in the schools they prefer. ”
The department indicated that it worked during the planning phase to launch the distance education process, with dedication to private schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to ensure continuity of education for all students, and in all educational levels. Schools during that phase submitted their updated educational plans, which were evaluated and approved by the department at that time. Therefore, schools have their own educational programs for the kindergarten stage, and we invite parents to communicate with schools directly to see the available distance education options and choose the curriculum or program that they see appropriate for them. And for their children.
Proposals to return to the study
A number of administrators and teachers in private schools, Mona Othman, Dalia Yassin, Hoda Shawky, Nadine Murad, Muhammad Essam, Amjad Mahmoud and Bashar Abdul Barr, suggested that if the distance education application continues next academic year, as a result of the continuation of the Corona pandemic, students should be returned Kindergarten and grades from the first to the fourth only for schools, and only two days of study, and the division of students into groups so that the number of students in the class does not exceed 10 students, and therefore the principle of physical distance is applied, while adhering to the rest of the precautionary procedures determined by the competent authorities.
They pointed out the importance of having children at this stage within the traditional school environment, to acquire the skills of communication, participation and interaction with their peers, as well as practicing sports, artistic activities and other skills that children acquire through their presence in school.
With the Ministry of Education confirmed that the decision regarding the form of the educational system applied in the next academic year is still under study, and the appropriate decision will be taken based on the health situation and precautionary measures, noting that it is too early to resolve the form of education after the end of the Corona crisis, but it has worked Before the crisis, there are plans to teach specific materials remotely or provide remedial lessons for students with this mechanism, so it is possible that we have a hybrid system between traditional education and distance education, stressing that physical sensory communication is important and necessary for specific groups of students, such as younger first-stage pupils. Those who need this communication health and psychological.
- children in «KG1» do not understand the idea of distance education .. and parents prefer teaching them.