Private school operators said that they are ready to receive students next September, pledging to implement a set of precautionary measures that ensure student safety and strict application of all preventive measures necessary to ensure health and safety, noting that the returns of the private education sector in the Dubai economy exceed 8.5 billion dirhams, recommending Establishing a liquidity fund in the education sector, to provide loans to cover expected losses in the collection of school fees revenue.

They stressed, during a virtual press conference organized by the "Education Work" group yesterday, the importance of students returning to their schools in September, to ensure their comprehensive growth.

A member of the committee in the "Education Work" group, Kulthoum Ali, who took over the seminar, said that the speakers explained the impact of the low revenues on private school operators, and their ability to fulfill their responsibilities, including employee wages, which could lead to the disruption of the education system, especially as the sector Private education contributes more than 8.5 billion dirhams in the Dubai economy.

She pointed out that the private secondary education sector in Dubai employs about 20 thousand male and female teachers, who provide high-quality education for about 290,000 students, noting that the private education sector has contributed to transforming the Emirate of Dubai, and the UAE in general, into one of the most attractive educational destinations for global skills. It is considered one of the most important pillars of a strong and diversified economy.

For his part, Alan Williamson, CEO of Education, said, “The opening of schools is extremely important, not only from an academic perspective, but also from a social perspective. The education sector has proven its ability to make quick decisions, clearly evident when we switched to the e-learning environment in less than a week.

He continued: «We are now ready again to shift to the new reality. Despite our distinguished efforts in the field of distance education, our students are eager to return to scientific laboratories, sports stadiums and art studios, which means that the achievement of the state's goals of its national agenda requires the reopening of schools to ensure that students can continue their comprehensive growth at various levels.

Ajay Mankani, the founding partner of Fortis Holding and Fortis Education, said that “the education sector is one of the most important drivers of sustainable economic growth in the country, and a cornerstone of social infrastructure. And it supports many influences in the other economy directly and indirectly, including small and medium companies, transport companies, facilities management, the sports sector and many others, and has always played a pivotal role in consolidating the UAE’s position as a leading destination to attract global skills. We are confident that opening schools in September will allow the country to set a new standard that other emerging markets can emulate to provide high-quality private education. ”

Sir Christopher Stone, James James’s Education Head of Academic Affairs, stressed that “the safety and happiness of children is a fundamental responsibility for us, and we guarantee our students and their parents a safe school environment, and the decision remains with the parents at the end. We have achieved amazing results by providing distance education, but the return of children to their schools is a pivotal necessity, due to the difference in the ways of acquiring knowledge among students, some of them have special educational needs, and some of them learn through practical skills, while others prefer teamwork, and we all have to take These aspects into consideration ».

Additional steps recommended by the group to help address the current challenges include the establishment of a liquidity fund in the education sector to provide loans or grants without guarantees or interest, to cover expected losses in the collection of school fees revenue, the postponement of facilities rental payments from March to August, and the approval of granting suspended employees From work unpaid leave until schools reopen.

Preventative measurements

A member of the committee in the "Education Work" group, Kulthoum Ali, said that the participants in the symposium confirmed the readiness of private schools to receive students and work cadres, within the school education environment in September, in light of a strict commitment to apply all necessary preventive measures to ensure health and safety. The limited capabilities of e-learning on the comprehensive development level for children, which confirms the importance of providing students with social skills, which enhance their interaction with their counterparts, to enable them to achieve comprehensive growth.

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