The educational authorities in the state resolved the controversy about the school attendance mechanism in the new school year 2020/2021, as it approved the application of the hybrid education model (integrating between school education and distance education) in government schools, while allowing schools There are several options for determining the permanence of students, ensuring a balance between the interest of students and not being absent from school seats for a long time, and between maintaining preventive measures and a safe distance between them.
The Ministry of Education has set August 30 as the date for the start of the new academic year for students, while teachers and administrators will start their work day on the 23rd of the same month, according to the decision approved by the Ministerial Council for Development, for the school calendar for all state schools of various types of government and private applicable to the ministry curriculum and foreign curricula.
In detail, the Ministry of Education intends to implement the hybrid education system within the Emirati smart school starting from the next academic year, and has put in place four flexible school-time scenarios, with school education to be 70% compared to 30% e-learning, and working hours range between 5.30 hours and six hours.
The ministry stated that school hours in the first scenario start from 7:15 am to 12:50 pm, the second from 7:30 to 1:05, and the third from 8:00 am to 1:35 pm, and the fourth from 8:30 To 2:50, provided that the working hours are flexible to match the needs and inclinations of students and to adjust their study times to suit their different educational capabilities.
The Ministry confirmed that this system guarantees the flexibility of timing to implement self-learning, and to encourage Emirati school students to use smart resources that enrich students ’information in several fields in the future, and prepare them for postgraduate studies and the labor market, and the application of virtual academies to support student learning through a group of distinguished teachers, and ease Apply virtual events and activities, including excursions, cinema and celebrations.
In the presented scenarios, the total number of classes for all levels of education was set so that the class time is 45 minutes for all grades, explaining that the number of classes in the kindergarten stage is 30 lessons per week, with 25 for “school education”, five lessons for “self-education”, and the first episode 35 A class, divided into 30 “school education”, five “self-education”, and the second session, 40 lessons, with 30 “school education”, three “direct education”, seven “self-education”, and a secondary education stage, 40 lessons, with 30 school education, and five « Direct education », and five self-learning, with a time of 45 minutes for all.
The Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority stated that it allows private schools to choose the method that is appropriate for them and their school community to receive their students, provided that they fully adhere to the approved guidelines and preventive measures, and among these methods are to receive all students at the same time, continue to implement distance learning partly, and to organize work hours Schooling for students in successive periods (for example, morning and evening hours), and other creative solutions, calling on schools to consult with parents of students, teachers, and students when choosing the best method for them.
The authority added that the decision to return to school may be worrying for some parents and students, but the schools will adhere to strict health and safety measures to protect students and school cadres from infection, noting that each school will offer several options to benefit from its educational services in the next academic year, after consulting with Parents.
For its part, the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi has chosen the private schools operating in the emirate among five educational models that will be applied in the next academic year, including regular full-time attendance, daily attendance of children to school, and regular part-time attendance, where children attend daily for half-time school, Rotation in days allows children to receive education directly on alternate days (two days per week), and rotation in weeks allows children to receive education in school, and distance education for a period of two weeks in each month, in addition to the method of hybrid education for children receiving education in school two days a week and three days in Next week, distance education on the days when he is at home.
The department indicated that the results of the students ’parents’ questionnaire for the reopening of schools attracted the participation of 63% of parents of private school students in Abu Dhabi, and 45% preferred their children to return to school, while 21% of the participants did not make their decision in this regard, and 34 % Of the respondents indicated that they prefer the continuation of the distance education model, considering that this model enables them to manage their time in the best possible way.
The Sharjah Private Education Authority stated that it has put in place a number of precautionary measures to return students to their schools at the beginning of the next academic year, taking into account different circumstances, in anticipation of developments that the emerging Corona virus may cause, stressing that the “distance education” system will continue with the resumption of studies in the next academic year .
She pointed out that the possibility of students to resume their studies next year in all schools in the emirate will be in accordance with the preventive controls and requirements issued by the concerned authorities, as all schools have been circulated by appointing a health and safety officer in each school, in addition to a licensed nursing staff, to ensure compliance with the application of instructions and controls And precautionary requirements.
She pointed out that the decision to resume studies during the next academic season will be part of a comprehensive plan based on the commitment of educational institutions to the precautionary measures, noting that it was circulated to schools on the necessity of investing all available spaces and facilities and offering innovative solutions that serve the goal of students returning to their seats, and specialized teams in the commission will take over. Study the plans submitted by schools and make sure that they can be implemented after visiting the school and discuss the mechanism for implementing the plan on the ground in the school campus, and the plans presented later will be decided so that each school will be able to generalize the approved scenario and inform parents, students and school staff on it.
On the other hand, the students ’parents’ opinions differed regarding the decision to return to schools and the resumption of studies, whether it was positive for their children or negative, indicating that the decision to return in accordance with the preventive controls and requirements issued by the concerned authorities needs to clarify the procedures that guarantee their safety from the risk of transmission to them.
And «Emirates Today» monitored a number of opinions of the parents of students about returning to private schools and resuming work at the beginning of next year, as they stressed that they prefer the continuation of distance education, especially at the present time until the risk of the virus fades and it is controlled and a drug is adopted for its treatment, noting that distance education Despite its difficulty for parents and restricting them with their children at home in times of classes, it is a better option than returning to schools during the current period, as schools will not be able to control students and prevent them from staying away from each other, and you will face difficulty with many groups of students, especially adolescents and children.
They demanded that there be systematic policy and plans to ensure a safe return for students, such as adopting the morning and evening periods, and reducing the number of students in classes to 30%, and ensuring that there are a large number of assistants for teachers and teachers to help them control students, and putting stickers on the seats in the classes by preventing students and obliging them Not to sit next to each other.
While Deputy Director of Ibn Khaldoun Private School, Faten Saeed, said that the hybrid education system is the best scenario that can be applied, especially in light of the variables resulting from the Corona pandemic, as this system provides the required opportunity for students to interact together within the classroom, and it is necessary to teach some subjects, especially Which requires experiments and the use of educational and demonstration methods, while at the same time hybrid education qualifies students to deal well with technology through distance education.
She pointed out that the school discussed the education system for the next academic year with the parents of its students, and the result was that 50% of the students ’students want direct school education for their children, while 50% prefer distance education, in order to preserve the health and safety of their children.
The director of a government school in Dubai, who preferred not to be named, stressed that "hybrid education" is the most appropriate model at the present time, to achieve a balance between ensuring students' safety from infection with "Corona" virus, and achieving the required social interaction within the school and class, which is one of the most important goals Education in general.
He said that the plan proposed by the Ministry of Education in the event of adopting "hybrid education", includes that the attendance rate of students in schools be 70%, and the distance education rate is 30%, and we look forward to developing a plan by the ministry aimed at gradually increasing the percentage of virtual education, even Study in schools is limited to practical subjects and activities.
Safe return
The Undersecretary of the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, Amer Al Hammadi, stressed the work of the department during the past stage to ensure the safe return of students and teachers to schools in the new academic year, and a guide was issued to clarify the procedures and aspects that schools must study before announcing the form that they adopted to reopen their doors, In a manner that enhances the safety of the educational sector in Abu Dhabi as a whole, and the guidelines are in line with the highest international standards adopted in this regard.
He said: «Our in-depth analysis of the views of students’ parents contributes to enhancing the schools ’ability to plan the reopening of schools by relying on data and information based on the opinions of parents of their students. We realize that some parents have some concerns about safe return to school. ”
He stressed that the distance learning model will remain in all schools, whatever model you choose, in a way that meets the special circumstances of students, continuing, “We continue to evaluate the various scenarios and possible models for the new academic year, as well as permanent communication with local and federal authorities to ensure the health and safety of all students, teachers and employees. ».
"Hybrid Education" is the most successful scenario
Considered a member of the Federal National Council, decision of the Committee «Education» in the Council, Shatha Al-Naqbi, that «hybrid education» is considered the most successful scenarios proposed for the application of the next academic year, in order to keep pace with progress and development and artificial intelligence, and to preserve what was achieved remotely, and what will have It has an impact on equipping a professional, professional generation capable of obtaining knowledge in all circumstances, and at the same time protecting students from the Corona virus infection, which is still present until the world reaches a drug to treat this virus, or a vaccine that protects it from infection.
And she saw that the application of "hybrid education" in pre-university educational stages gives an opportunity to develop education in universities with the outputs of hybrid education in schools, and therefore the UAE generation will be as efficient as what the UAE leaders entrust to them.
She pointed out that hybrid education supports the principle of education for all, as it provides all members of society with an opportunity to learn, and the path of continuous education that represents a real opportunity for those who wish to continue his education, as it links education in schools with the education chain in local and international universities, as it targets citizens who wish to keep pace New developments in the job market by studying and obtaining a professional certificate in a specific field after high school, which supports the chances of their future career advancement.
The National Forum for the Gifted raises students' abilities
The Ministry of Education launched the National Forum for the Gifted in conjunction with the launch of the first virtual camp for the gifted, which targets childhood, and the forum aims to discover students with talents and mental, personal, skilled and creative talents from different ages, as part of the Ministry of Education's efforts to advance students' levels and make them Most competitive according to international standards that simulate this field, and keep pace with the start of the forum.
The forum seeks to early detection of the talents' capabilities to ensure the provision of appropriate support and care to develop all talents and abilities in all aspects of their personality, and work to design and prepare programs and initiatives to develop and develop the talents of the talented students and their cognitive, scientific, mathematical, digital and artistic skills, and their productive, social, emotional, leadership and physical skills, as well as directing Students are suitable paths for optimal investment in their abilities and skills and building national and global partnerships that help them to achieve themselves in the service of the UAE and puts it at the forefront of developed countries scientifically and industrially in all fields. The forum also seeks to support students to join international programs such as apprenticeships, leadership and global competitions.
The assistant undersecretary for the care and activities sector, Dr. Amna Al-Dahhak Al-Shamsi, stated that the forum is an essential building block in the integrated system on which the Ministry of Education works to discover and care for talented and innovative students in various fields in various stages, especially early childhood.
Moza Al-Khatri, head of the talent care department at the Ministry, said that the establishment of a national talent forum aims to provide judged programs that are in line with international standards and foundations to enable talented people to contribute creatively and effectively to achieving the goals of the UAE, and will be the national cadres and local and international experiences, especially investment in existing competencies In the educational field; It is the primary engine and supporting force for the forum to enable, promote and sustain the forum in achieving its goals.
- Students return to their classrooms with strict precautionary measures to protect them from Corona.
Dubai Knowledge Authority allows private schools to choose the most appropriate method for them to receive their students.
Abu Dhabi Education and Knowledge Department selects private schools among five educational models.
45%
Parents of private school students in Abu Dhabi prefer to return to school.
30
Weekly class for kindergarten: 25 «school education», and five classes «self-education».