Abu Dhabi families look forward to return to classrooms after 10 months of distance learning

A return to school will bring back a sense of normality for parents and children alike beset by boredom and frustration

Lara Abu Ata and her twins, Omar and Zain, 12. Victor Besa / The National 

Parents and pupils are looking forward to a return to in-person classes after nearly a year of online learning in Abu Dhabi’s private schools.

More than 10 months into the pandemic, mental illness has become a simmering crisis for schoolchildren and parents across the globe.

As most children in Abu Dhabi prepare to return to campuses next week, families reflected on the challenges of remote learning.

They said a return to class will bring back a sense of normality.

Mother-of-two Emma Evans will send her 6-year-old daughter back to Raha International School next Tuesday.

“The first few weeks of online learning was incredibly stressful,” Ms Evans, 45, said.

“Trying to entertain my four-year-old while teaching my daughter was awful and so tough. My youngest started to act out and be naughty.

“After about a month, I took a step back as it just wasn’t doable with two young kids in the house.”

She said a real low point has been the dramatic increase in her children’s screen time, which has created several behavioural problems.

Ms Evans, a part-time sports therapist from Britain, also had to take a break from her job and endure a loss of earnings.

“Not only did it impact me financially, I lost a sense of independence too,” she said.

“I have no shame in admitting I struggled throughout the past year. It was really hard and many parents would agree.”

Some pupils in Abu Dhabi returned to school for the start of term in September. But in early December, the Ministry of Education announced a city-wide resumption of the remote learning phase.

For mother-of-three Lara Abu Ata, the past 10 months have been challenging.

Her 12-year-old twins and 16-year-old son attend The British School Al Khubairat.

“At the beginning of the distance-learning phase it was a mess as we had to adapt to something new,” she said.

“I’m thankful that my children are in secondary school as they are a lot more independent and are able to navigate the virtual learning process.

“As a mother, I felt this extra pressure to make sure they were OK and I often had this fear of them losing out on a proper educational experience.”

After spending more than seven hours in front of a screen each day, Ms Abu Ata said she and her children make a point of exercising.

“Their screen time has shot up so much, so I compensate for that by doing things with them, like getting a personal trainer and doing sports,” she said.

“It’s mentally draining, being on a computer all day, so the return to school will offer that much-needed social interaction they need and have missed out on.

“We have tried to remain optimistic throughout the past year and we have good support at home as we talk a lot, but I know many parents who have struggled.”

Ms Abu Ata’s 12-year-old daughter, Zain, said she has tried to stay positive throughout the home learning phase.

“This past year taught me to be more organised and I’ve tried to stay happy, which I know other classmates have struggled with,” Zain said.

“It has been challenging. I noticed little things like technical issues causing frustration.

“I've lost out on social interaction too, I miss my friends.”

Her twin brother, Omar, said his saving grace throughout the past 10 months was having daily Zoom chats with his classmates.

And he said staying active after lesson time has been a release for him both mentally and physically.

From government-enforced lockdowns to mandatory self-isolation, the uncertainty surrounding Covid-19 worldwide has led to increases in fear, worry and stress.

Although these are all normal responses to a pandemic, if left untreated there is a real danger of someone developing anxiety, panic disorder or depression.

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, a growing number of children have presented to the emergency room with mental illness in the past 12 months.

From March to October last year, the figure was up 31 per cent for 12 to 17-year-olds and 24 per cent for children aged 5 to 11, compared with the same period in 2019.