Abu Dhabi: Parents enthusiastic about resumption of in-school classes

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Reuters
Reuters

Abu Dhabi - Last week, the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said it approved pupils to attend schools in the 2021-22 academic year.

by

Ismail Sebugwaawo

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Published: Tue 22 Jun 2021, 9:14 PM

Last updated: Tue 22 Jun 2021, 9:15 PM

The resumption of in-classroom lessons for pupils in both public and private schools in the new academic year has enthused parents.

The Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE) authorities on Sunday (June 20) announced that public schools would reopen for in-classroom lessons for the next academic year 2021-22, in line with the country’s efforts towards returning to a new normal amid the Covid-19 pandemic and in coordination with the authorities concerned.


Last week, the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said it approved pupils to attend schools in the 2021-22 academic year, starting August 29.

During the current academic year, most of the public and private schools in Abu Dhabi had continued with remote learning, while others followed the hybrid model of teaching to ensure the safety of pupils and the school community.


Tareq Mohammed, a Pakistani expatriate, whose children attend a private school in Abu Dhabi, said pupils’ returning to in-classroom lessons has been a widely anticipated event following a prolonged phase of remote learning because of the viral outbreak since March 2020.

“In-class learning is important, as children learn directly from their teachers about new skills and knowledge, which can’t be acquired during remote learning,” he said.

“As parents, this makes a lot of difference in the way the children learn. Face-to-face learning will improve children's grasp of concepts; groom them better as far as discipline and punctuality are concerned,” he added.

Hajj Musa E., a Ugandan expatriate, said pupils would concentrate and pay more attention during in-classroom lessons than remote learning.

“As a parent, I’ve been finding it difficult supervising the children’s online classes. At times, they miss out on online tests because either they forget to log in on time or network issues. Their results also suffer due to a lack of focus. Besides, teachers don’t give as much attention during remote learning as compared to in-classroom lessons and a pupil may not have understood what has been taught in a virtual environment.”

Ashraf Ahamed, an Indian expatriate, said in-classroom lessons offered more benefits than remote learning.

“I’m happy that our children will return to school from the next academic year. The traditional education system has stood the test of time. Educational summer camps are also a wonderful exercise for a child’s personality development,” said Ahamed.

Sarah Hassan, an Emirati father, whose four children attend government schools in Abu Dhabi, too, welcomed the move.

“It’s been tough on us as parents to strike a happy balance between work and supervising children’s online classes at home,” she said.

“Children need to interact directly with children and play with their friends and peers in school for their comprehensive physical and mental growth and development,” she added.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com


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