Parents are invited to join pupils on opening day

After a delayed start of the UAE's academic year, the first day will be an "unprecedented" effort to involve the community.

Parents and guardians will be invited to attend the first day of school along with students, teachers and administrative staff, the Ministry of Education announced yesterday. Humaid al Qattami, the Minister of Education, described the "Welcome to my school" theme as an "unprecedented" effort to involve the community when public schools open after Eid al Fitr. The announcement, released yesterday via WAM, the state news agency, was welcomed by Yousef al Shehhi, the principal of Al Rams Secondary School in Ras al Khaimah.

"It's a really good idea," he said, as involving the wider community would aid everyone. Instead of just allocating books and class schedules on the first day, he believes, teachers and parents can use the time, for example, to raise possible motivational or behavioural problems among the 265 students who are enrolled. If not for Ramadan, the school year would have started in late August or early September.

Because of the holy month, the Government opted to delay the reopening of public schools until after Eid, creating a 114-day summer break. Many private schools in the UAE have already resumed lessons. [e-mail]