Combating coronavirus: 95% of Abu Dhabi parents help their kids in e-learning

UAE schools started the distance learning programme on March 22 as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Parents' participation in the remote learning through helping their kids has significantly increased, according to education regulators.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) said the participation of parents in the distance learning system has reached more than 95 per cent with many schools providing distinguished education for students despite the current circumstances.
UAE schools started the distance learning programme on March 22 as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of Covid-19. The Ministry of Education later announced that remote learning will continue until the end of the current academic year.
According to Adek, private schools, parents and students have been able to adapt to the new system very quickly.
During the first two weeks, the percentage increase in parents' satisfaction with the programme was 10 per cent while their participation had increased by 20 per cent. This has increased tremendously over the recent weeks and majority of the parents are now fully participating in their children's remote learning to ensure good education.
Ensuring quality education
Adek noted that in order to ensure quality education, all schools were told to prepare policies and set the necessary systems to ensure the achievement of a set of requirements, including recording the daily attendance of students and teachers, setting tests for students, distribution of grades for the current academic year (the first semester for Asian schools) and follow-up and evaluation of students' performance.
"The schools were told to provide the department with detailed plans, showing how they will continue to provide education for their students. All the schools worked hard to move from traditional education to remote learning very quickly," the authority added.
Schools also have to put in place systems and policies to ensure that teachers are well qualified and had received the appropriate training to enable them to use educational platforms during the remote learning system. Schools were asked to communicate to the parents regularly to find out the problems they are facing with the remote learning and to ensure that students are comfortable with the methods used by teachers. Also there should be a system to assist students facing difficulties.
Challenges and solutions
Adek said during the start of the distance learning system, many schools, parents and students faced some difficulties such as lack of the required gadgets and internet connection in homes. The students and some teachers were also not very familiar with the e-learning system while working parents were not able to support their children at home. However, most of these challenges have been addressed and the remote learning system is now operating smoothly.
In a bid to upskill schools, Adek, in partnership with Microsoft, had hosted training sessions for educators from over 132 schools on best practices for virtual classrooms. It has also set up an online knowledge-sharing platform featuring 1,014 education files, allowing teachers and educators to access learning resources and materials needed to provide a seamless online learning experience for students.
Adek said it had equipped all schools with the necessary platforms free of charge. Through their strategic partnership with Amazon and Alef Education, Adek provided schools and students with tablets and other devices to enable full access to remote learning.
In collaboration with telecommunication provider du, the education regulators also ensured connectivity in the areas where students live. Adek earlier said it had provided over 15,150 tablets, 7,000 SIM cards and 3,000 WiFi devices to facilitate distance learning across institutions.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com 
 

• Abu Dhabi