Coronavirus: Dubai's private school pupils will return to classrooms next week

Officials confirm in-person lessons will remain in the emirate after Abu Dhabi moved to distance learning for the first two weeks of the new term

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 school pupils in Dubai will be permitted to return to classrooms for the start of the new term next week, officials confirmed.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority - the emirate's private education regulator - said schools would be open "as usual" in a post on its Twitter account.

"As with the first term of this academic year, parents continue to have the choice of face-to-face or distance learning for their children," the post stated.

The announcement came just hours after it was revealed private and public school pupils in Abu Dhabi would continue distance learning for the first two weeks of term.

The second term of the academic year begins on January 3, 2021. Pupils were set for a full return to classrooms.

Schools across the country closed their doors in March and and switched to distance learning as part of efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus.

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

Abu Dhabi's private school pupils in years seven to nine – or from about the age of 11 to 14 – were due to resume in-person lessons for the first time since early March as part of the emirate's staggered return to classrooms for its pupils.

Tens of thousands of pupils returned to classrooms in Dubai at the end of August, with parents also having the option of continuing remote learning.

Thanks for your messages - private schools in Dubai are not affected by the recent announcement & will be open as ‘usual’ next week.