Photo used for illustrative purposes.

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

Students in Dubai and Sharjah returned to schools on Sunday after a three-week winter break, however, students in Abu Dhabi will have to wait for two weeks, before attending class in-person.

It was a welcome sign to see the school buses plying the roads once again, albeit the vehicles were half full to maintain the physical distancing measures advised by the authorities.

Signage were placed in schools reminding students to maintain social distancing, wear the mask and practice hand sanitasation in order to stay safe while attending the class in-person.

The three weeks of winter vacation was used by school management to sanitise the campus as well as buses and make other preparations to ensure safety for staff and students, who returned to on-campus schooling on Sunday.

Schools in Sharjah were also ready to welcome students for in-person classes, despite the fact that the education authorities in the emirate had allowed parents to choose the mode of education for their ward —in-person, hybrid or remote learning.

Last week, the Sharjah Private Education Authority had announced that all private schools and educational institutions were ready to receive students upon school reopening, but the authority also granted parents the option to choose the mode of education.

The authority had instructed all private schools affiliated to it to notify the parents about choosing the education system through SMS or emails.

Again on Sunday, the Authority issued a statement on its Instagram account. “As the new term begins, you can either attend school or continue with online classes. Whichever one you choose, we would like to wish you all a safe and productive year of learning and growing,” it stated.

Tenth and 12th grade students of Indian schools, preparing to appear for board exams, were excited to return to school as they wanted face-to-face interaction with teachers.  India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will be conducting Class 10th and 12th board exams from May 4 to June 10.

The opportunity to attend the class in-person gives students a chance to be in the school for some time before they sit for their board exams as that will help them acclimatise themselves. It was necessary for students as they have been attending online classes for an extended period of time, while the examinations will ultimately be held with pen and paper.

Students in Abu Dhabi will return to schools on Jan.17, as the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee, in coordination with Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, has approved remote learning for the first two weeks of the new school term.

“The decision applies to all students at both public and private schools in the emirate and was made to protect the health and safety of students, teachers and school staff,” stated the Government of Abu Dhabi Media Office on its Tweeter account. The authorities have also instructed that all students, teachers and school staff returning to the UAE from international travel through any of the country’s airports or ports must adhere to quarantine measures implemented in Abu Dhabi emirate.