Mohammed bin Zayed: The safety and health of our children is a top priority in our educational system
The school year begins today ... a gradual return to the "governmental" and exceptional options for the "private"
"Education" allowed the families of students in public schools to choose the most appropriate educational model for them
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in a tweet published by His Highness on “Twitter” yesterday, on the occasion of the start of the new school year, affirmed his confidence in the quality of education in the UAE, stressing that the safety of students is given the utmost importance in Education system.
His Highness said: “The beginning of a new academic year… We ask God Almighty to make it a year full of achievement and distinction… the safety and health of our children is a top priority in our educational system in light of the challenges of (Corona). The sustainability of education, during the last period, strengthens our confidence in continuing development and modernization, in order to achieve the quality of education.
The new school year begins today according to exceptional scenarios dictated by the Corona pandemic and the spread of the “Covid-19” virus, as public schools witness a gradual return of their students, according to five time paths set by the ministry, starting with the presence of 25% of students in the first week, to reach 100 % After five weeks, while private schools wait for different scenarios, determined by the students ’choices for the most appropriate form of education for their children, according to what they see.
The Ministry of Education allowed the families of students in public schools to choose the most appropriate educational model for their children to study, during the first semester of the new school year that begins today, between school education and distance education, while the educational scenarios that private schools will apply for their students at the state level varied. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai gave schools the opportunity to define the educational model for each school, in consultation with the parents of its students, to choose the most appropriate form for their children to return to the school building, stressing the shared responsibility between the school, parents and the concerned authorities.
The authority confirmed that it has approved all study plans for private schools in the emirate, pointing out that the school can postpone studying for a week, and in this case the end of the school year will be delayed for the same period until the school achieves the scheduled schooling days, which are 182 days.
The Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi stated that private schools in the emirate will receive students from the introductory stage to the fifth grade in the classes from the first day of the school year, provided that the attendance of students of other academic levels will be four weeks after the start of the school year. This option allows schools to monitor and evaluate the students' acclimatization and response to the procedures used, and accordingly plan for the enrollment of the rest of the students.
The department has adopted a number of scenarios to receive students, including policies and guidelines, depending on the schools' absorptive capacity, including full-time attendance, part-time attendance, alternating days, alternating weeks, and hybrid education.
While the local emergency, crisis and disaster management team in the Emirate of Sharjah and the Sharjah Authority for Special Education decided to learn "from a distance" in private schools in the emirate, during the first and second weeks of the beginning of the new academic year, starting from today until Thursday the 10th of next month, with field follow-up For the developments of the situation, in the interest of the safety of students and educational staff.
The Ministry of Education granted private schools in Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al-Khaimah the freedom to determine the educational system, in consultation with the students' parents.
"Education" turns art and sports classes into "virtual education"
The Ministry of Education decided to transfer classes for “arts” and “sports” to teaching in the “virtual education” system, in addition to postponing the implementation of free and flexible activities classes in the school schedule in the first phase of students' return to school, and canceling group activities, including trips, celebrations and sports. And camps, or converting them into virtual activities.
This came in the "Protocols and procedures for operating educational facilities during the Corona pandemic" manual, which was recently approved by the ministry.
Concerning the school curricula, the guide clarified several procedures for them, including setting a perception of all school subjects, determining how to teach them in the case of using the method of distance education and hybrid education, and taking into account the reduction of distance learning outcomes for school subjects to a minimum, which does not cause a loss of learning among students. In the first stage of a gradual return.
Among the procedures, rescheduling the time of school lessons, so that the time of students 'presence in the hall itself is reduced, while reducing the total time inside the educational facility during the first stage of the start of the study, then gradually increasing the periods of students' presence in accordance with the instructions of the Ministry, and applying individual educational plans for students of determination. During the examination period, according to disability groups, and providing for their needs according to their individual capabilities.
As for the monitoring and follow-up procedures, the guide indicated that the Ministry will monitor the extent of educational facilities' commitment to implementing the guidelines of the framework of "operating educational facilities during the pandemic."
In the event that any establishment fails to implement the instructions, the list of violators of the requirements and precautionary measures will be implemented.
In addition, an internal working group will be formed in the educational facility under the name of "Health and Safety Committee" to monitor the operations and activities that are carried out in it, to ensure the implementation of the approved health precautionary requirements and measures.