This child is simply awed by the reception, and the gifts, that he is getting from a Sharjah Airport official.

It’s back to school after a long hiatus, and no one could be more elated than the school-going child. For over two years, children in the UAE have been cooped up in their homes, working on their school lessons remotely, thanks to the coronavirus. For a good number it must have been a dreary or even taxing routine, since they have been missing out on the fun of interacting with their peers. These children have been deprived for a long time, the in-person contact with their teachers and, most of all, their classmates and friends at school.

Online schooling appears to play second fiddle to offline existence. The ring of school bells beckons these eager beavers who don’t mind the busy routine to get to school: the rush to get ready, with lunch boxes et al; to check if their uniforms are spic and span; the dash for the waiting school bus; the goodbyes to their parents.

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The yellow school buses may be causing a gridlock in traffic, but they are the connect to a lively atmosphere and the means to enter the portals of academe.

The same feeling of excitement must be there among schoolchildren returning to the UAE from their overseas holidays.

Joining the enthusiasm is Sharjah Airport Authority, which welcomed children and families arriving at the airport as part of its initiative to celebrate the end of summer vacation and the beginning of the academic year 2022-2023. Sharjah Airport’s three-day ‘Back to School’ campaign started on August 22, 2022 and was aimed at bringing joy to children and wishing them a successful academic future.

The airport authorities added more than a dash of joy and festivity as they distributed gifts and candies among the children and their families.

The drive is part of the authority’s move to enhance their interaction with visitors. This is also in line with its various corporate responsibilities that herald a positive impact on society.