Abu Dhabi private school pupils to return to classrooms on Sunday

All pupils in the emirate have been studying remotely since January 3

Parents see off their children off to classes for the first time since March in August 2020. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Naividh Pillai, aged 3, looks a little bewildered as he arrives for his first day at Gems Wellington Academy with sister Alaikha and parents Meera and Deepesh. Antonie Robertson / The National

Gems Wellington Academy in Al Khail opens for the start of the school year. Antonie Robertson/The National

Gems Wellington Academy in Al Khail opens for the start of the school year. Thermal monitors at the entrance scan people for signs of fever or high temperature. Antonie Robertson/The National

Gems Wellington Academy in Al Khail opens for the start of the school year. Antonie Robertson / The National

A pupil wearing a colourful face shield arrives at Horizon International School in Dubai on Sunday. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A mother helps her son sanitise his hands as he arrives at Horizon school. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Children arrive for school at Horizon International School in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Children arrive for school at Horizon International School in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A pupil gets her temperature checked at the entrance of Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National

Pupils return to Al Mizhar American Academy in Dubai. Shruti Jain for The National

A staff member assists a pupil as Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National

Tarryn Patel, a homeroom teacher from South Africa, attends to her grade 1 pupil at Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National

Pupils are spaced apart at the cafetaria at Al Mizhar American Academy. Shruti Jain for The National

Private and public school pupils in Abu Dhabi will return to classrooms on Sunday.

The Department of Education and Knowledge, Abu Dhabi's private education regulator, confirmed to The National on Wednesday that in-person lessons would resume after schools adopted distance learning for the first two weeks of the new term.

All pupils, including those with chronic health conditions, were previously told they could return to schools from January 3.

This was also meant to include Years 7 to 9, who have been studying remotely since March under safety measures imposed to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

On December 30, the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, in co-ordination with the Department of Education and Knowledge, said remote learning would be implemented for the first two weeks "to protect the health and safety of students, teachers and school staff".

This week, the Ministry of Education announced a plan for the safe return of public school pupils to classrooms across the UAE.

They said some pupils would resume in-person classes from January 17 – the beginning of the third week of second term – after two weeks of distance learning.

Pupils in grades 9 to 12, known as cycle three, will return to classrooms next week but schools will have their capacity limits capped at 50 per cent, to prevent crowding and ensure physical distancing.

In Dubai, some schools have had to close temporarily because of an increase in Covid-19 cases among pupils.

The UAE has recorded a steep rise in Covid-19 infections since the turn of the year.

Authorities reported 3,362 new cases on Wednesday, exceeding the highest daily infection record set the previous day.