ABU DHABI // A decision to raise the legal preschool admission age in public and private schools from 3 to 4 will not take effect until the 2014-2015 school year, it was reported on Sunday.
The implementation of the decision has been postponed by the Ministry of Education to give the school community time to adapt to the new measure, Fouzia Ghareeb, the ministry's assistant undersecretary for educational operations told The National's Arabic-language sister paper, Al Ittihad.
The postponement is in the best interest of all stakeholders, Ms Ghareeb said, noting that the decision is meant to fix a discrepancy between government and private schools, which respectively accept children into preschool at the age of 3 years and six months and 3 years only. She said the ministry wanted the application of the decision to be "seamless".
When the decision comes into effect, schools will not be allowed to accept children any younger than those who turn 4 by the month of December in that school year.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
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If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.