Sharjah schools to continue with distance learning until the end of spring term

Authorities say decision to extend remote learning until March 25 was made to keep pupils safe

Shatha Al Qadi, 15, is the only learner present in her Grade 10 class at Al Shola Private School on January 5. All photos by Antonie Robertson / The National

Sharjah's Al Shola Private School has strong safety measures in place to protect pupils of all ages.

Class sizes at the school have been capped to 12 in line with social distancing measures.

A child during a lesson. Just 97 of 647 pupils in grades 9 to 12 opted to return to their seats at Al Shola Private School.

According to statistics from the school, 42 per cent pupils attend classes in school from grades 1 to 4, with this figure dropping to 28 per cent for grades 5 to 8.

Ibraheem Barakeh of Al Shola Schools Group says ongoing concerns over catching the virus are a key factor in the high number of pupils opting to learn online.

A teacher wears a face shield to stay safe.

All schools and nurseries in Sharjah will continue distance learning for the rest of the spring term.

The decision to extend remote learning until March 25 was made to keep pupils safe, authorities said.

Classroom lessons were originally suspended for at least two weeks in mid-February to curb the spread of Covid-19.

But Sharjah’s emergency, crisis and disaster management team and education authorities decided that it was not yet safe to resume in-person learning.

“In co-operation with the Ministry of Education and the Sharjah Private Education Authority, the team decided to continue the distance learning system at 100 per cent for pupils in schools, and children in public and private nurseries in the emirate, until the end of the spring semester,” said a statement on Wam.

The local crisis authority said it would continue its multilingual awareness campaign using drones to educate the community on the need to adhere to preventative measures.

All schools and nurseries across the Northern Emirates, which includes Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain, returned to online learning earlier in the month.

At the time, authorities said the restrictions in Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah would last "until further notice".

Home studies also resumed in Ajman this month, after the emirate's crisis authority and the education ministry said it would halt face-to-face learning.

But pupils returned to classrooms in Abu Dhabi last week, with some children, aged between 11 and 14, attending for the first time in almost a year.

In-person learning has not been suspended in Dubai this academic year.