Education and Knowledge opens a free virtual school for children of low-income families

The Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi announced the opening of the virtual educational partnerships school, and during its experimental phase, it received about 579 students from 15 different nationalities, who formed the first batch of students from the school that provides access to quality education for international students from low-income families facing Financial difficulties as a result of the exceptional circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new school aims to provide free education to students, who were forced by difficult financial circumstances to leave private schools as a result of the inability of their parents to bear the educational costs, as the school started its pilot phase in October 2020, and provided the opportunity for students to continue their education according to the curriculum of the Ministry of Education, given that Most of the students who were forced to leave their schools were studying in schools adopting this curriculum, and the department and its partners are currently assessing the need to introduce more curricula in the new school.

The Virtual Educational Partnerships School adopts a hybrid education model, as it is operated by the Edurizon Foundation for Education Services of the Aliphia Educational Group - the region-wide educational and comprehensive investment company that specializes in providing high-quality educational content at low cost in various countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The Educational Partnerships Sector team at the Department of Education and Knowledge oversees the organization of the school's work, as the team uses its expertise in the field of educational partnership schools that began in 2018 and provided a third educational model in the education sector in Abu Dhabi, with a focus on the individual development of students mainly.

The school provides free virtual education services to its students from the fifth grade to the eleventh grade, while it provides digital devices to its students on the principle of secondment, on the other hand, the school follows the teaching plans and tests approved according to the curriculum of the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates, which allows students to transfer at any time. To any other private school, according to the organizational laws approved by the department.

In the event that students wish to return to private schools, parents must pay the financial dues related to the previous schools that they left as a result of the exceptional circumstances resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, as parents signed an undertaking to do so when registering their children in the virtual educational partnerships school.

Commenting on the school’s launch, Sarah Muslim, Head of the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, said, “The Virtual Educational Partnerships School welcomes students in Abu Dhabi from different nationalities from families who faced material challenges during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. An ideal opportunity for students to compensate for any losses in their educational journey, and to enable students of various nationalities to continue their education path.

She added, "The vision of the Virtual Educational Partnerships School is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals within the education pillar aimed at ensuring quality, equitable and inclusive education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. This comprehensive approach is in line with our commitment to ensuring the provision of quality education services, in addition to its contribution to achieving our strategic priorities To build a comprehensive educational system in Abu Dhabi in a way that strengthens the emirate's position as a regional educational center, by providing equal and high-quality educational opportunities for all students.

For his part, an investor and a member of the board of directors of the Edurizon Foundation, affiliated to the Aliphia Education Group, praised the cooperation with the Private Horizon School of the Saeed Al Hajri Group, as well, noting that the new school provides a tangible example of the important prospects for success that can be achieved in partnership between the public and private sectors. .

Al-Hajri said: “We realize the importance of continuing the education process for students and their access to quality education opportunities, which is why we rushed to support this initiative that aims to provide a practical solution that meets the needs of students and parents.

The success of the Virtual Educational Partnerships School is based on the great support provided by the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, which oversees the implementation and flow of the project, and on the prestigious expertise provided by the Edurizon Foundation team in operating and managing the school and providing educational services. The school works by adding more curricula according to the needs that the Department of Education and Knowledge continues to monitor in the education sector.

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