ABU DHABI, 18 June — school students in Abu Dhabi are set to resume in-class learning in September 2021, from the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year, Gulf News reported.
According to the Crisis and Disasters Committee announcement on 17 June, the decision follows the vaccination of 80 percent of school staff and consultations with educators and parents.
A survey of parents, representing 230,000 students in the emirate, found that 70 per cent were expected to return to in-class learning.
But parents will still have the option for full-time distance learning in case this is offered by the children’s school, as the new academic year starts in September for most international and UAE schools.
Abu Dhabi first approved distance learning by licensed schools back in March 2020, as a means to limit the COVID-19 spread and infection. Later, after one semester of compulsory distance learning for all classes, the health authorities allowed in-class learning for students in selected grades.
The following term, which began in January 2021, students of all grades were allowed to return to their classrooms. But until now, parents across the emirate have been allowed to opt for full-time distance learning for their children.
The survey also showed that most parents believed vaccination will further enhance their confidence about the safety of schools.
The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is currently available for children aged 12 years and above in the UAE, while the country launched a Sinopharm immune bridge study for children aged 3 to 17.
Source: Gulf News
