UAE private schools preparing to welcome pupils in September

Private schools in the UAE say they are prepared to welcome pupils back in September, as they called on authorities to support them so they can remain open.

During a remote meeting on Thursday, school leasers said they are ready to return more than 800,000 private school pupils to their campuses.

Schools have been closed since March after classes moved online to stop the spread of coronavirus. E-learning will continue for the rest of the academic year and school groups said they expected a blended learning programme to begin in September that will rotate pupils between online and in-class learning.

Authorities are yet to decide when schools will reopen.

Ajay Mankani, director of Fortes Holdings, which runs schools and nurseries, said the sector needed support.

“The health pandemic has forced us to shut down and we faced logistical and operation problems,” he said at an online Education Business Group meeting.

The group represents more than 100 private schools.

Mr Mankani said schools needed backing, flexibility to choose operating models and regulatory support.

Alan Williamson, chief executive at Taaleem, which runs 13 private schools in the UAE, underscored the need to have pupils back in the classroom. “The economy needs parents at the workplace, not at home educating their children,” he said. “The private sector employs more than 50,000 teachers ... opening schools is the best way of ensuring those 50,000 jobs are secure.”

Also on Thursday, the UAE identified 659 new cases of coronavirus after conducting 54,000 tests, raising the country’s total to 37,018. A further 419 patients had overcome the virus, taking total recoveries to 19,572. Three further fatalities took the death toll to 273.

Private schools in the UAE said they were ready to welcome back pupils in September and urged authorities to ease regulations.

At an online meeting on Thursday, school leaders discussed how they could bring back more than 800,000 pupils into classrooms.

Schools are set to return for the new academic year in September, but expect to run a mixed learning programme that would involve lessons in school and at home. No decision has been made by the authorities yet.

Some school groups called for assistance from the government and said they needed flexibility to furlough staff – put them on reduced wages or on unpaid leave.

Ajay Mankani, director of Fortes Holdings, which runs schools and nurseries across the country, said the sector needed support from the government.

“The health pandemic has forced us to shut down and we faced logistical and operation problems,” he said at an online meeting organised by Education Business Group, a private school association that represents more than 100 schools.

“Another problem is the pressures that come with having no visibility on our enrolment and parents losing their jobs.

“As a chain of schools we are living from week to week and term to term, as we are unable to forecast cash flow.

“We are asking for support from the government. We are asking for flexibility in choosing our operating models. We are asking for fiscal support and regulation support.”

Mr Mankani claimed easing regulations on pay and teaching may be needed for schools to continue running.

“We need flexibility in terms of our human-resource practices,” he said.

“Our human-resource expenses are 60 to 70 per cent, so we need flexibility to perhaps furlough staff and decide how we manage our staff, while keeping with the regulations of the UAE”.

Alan Williamson, chief executive at Taaleem, which runs 13 private in the UAE, underscored the need to have pupils back in the classroom.

“The economy needs parents at the workplace and not at home educating their children,” he said.

“The private sector in UAE employs more than 50,000 teachers in education and that is a major, massive part of the workforce.

“Opening schools is the best way of ensuring those 50,000 jobs are secure.

“It is imperative that schools open not only from an economic perspective but from a social perspective.”

He said the Emirates had the advantage of learning from countries that allowed pupils to return before the summer.

“We are watching Scandinavia, the Far East and Europe so that UAE schools will have a tremendous advantage when they open,” he said.

He said the group was working with Dubai’s education regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, and the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi to look at how pupils could return in September.

“Schools need to open for the well-being of children,” he said.

“The social aspect is being missed. We are missing science labs, sports fields, dance studios and arts studios. We are missing the totality of the curriculum.”

Last week, a global poll found four out of five teachers said it was not yet safe to return to school.

The poll involved more than 4,000 teachers from 33 countries and was carried out at the T4 Conference, one of the largest education fairs in the world.

Sir Christopher Stone, global chief education officer at Gems Education, said that although there was a certain amount that could be taught online, children needed to interact with each other.

He said online learning may leave behind more vulnerable children, those who had special needs or some who needed teamwork to succeed.

Some school operators urged the authorities to ease regulations while some asked for greater assistance