A senior spokesperson from the Ministry of Education revealed to Gulf News that E-learning will continue into the next academic year if the COVID-19 crisis goes on. A Ramadan virtual majlis was organised by the Khalifa Education Award on Friday. During the online meeting, Fawzia Gharib, assistant undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for the school operations sector, mentioned that that e-learning could continue as part of three scenarios devised by the Ministry of Education.
As per the first scenario, e-learning will continue to remain the sole medium of education. This is in case Covid persists in the country. The second scenario is a transitional phase which involves a gradual comeback after the virus subsides. In this case, the country will slowly creep back to normalcy and direct education will return at a rate ranging between 30-50 per cent.
The third scenario will be a combination of the first two. This will be implemented in the event that life returns to normal. This will involve 70 per cent direct education and 30 per cent e-learning. This way, technological development and the transition to digital education can be maintained.
Gharib also mentioned to Gulf News that each scenario has a time frame and if the scenario continues, e-learning will extend into the next academic year as well.
Well, as of now, everything remains fluid and the only thing we can do is truly hope for things to get better.
What Else?
The UAE Ministry of Education approved a reduction in hours for schools during Ramadan. As per the new working hours, e-learning classes will be reduced to 30 minutes per class during Ramadan. Further, the total number of hours per week has also been reduced.
وزارة التربية والتعليم، تعتمد خطة دراسية، مخففة، تماشيا مع شهر رمضان المبارك، ومراعاةً لوضع الطلبة وأولياء أمورهم، إذ بموجبها تم تقليل مدة الحصة الدراسية إلى 30 دقيقة وتخفيض أعداد الحصص الدراسية أسبوعيا . pic.twitter.com/RsLqE94Qx7
— وزارة التربية (@MOEducationUAE) April 19, 2020
Kindergarten kids will take 15 classes per week while students in grades 1-4 will take 15 classes per week. The e-learning will start at 1.45pm and ending at 3.25pm. Students in grades 9-12 will start their school day at 11am and conclude at 2.05pm. Students in the general stream will take 14 classes per week, while students in the trilingual general stream will take 15 classes per week.
Those in advanced stream and the trilingual advanced stream will have 21 classes per week and the elite stream students will have 22 classes per week. Applied stream students will take 20 classes per week. The duration of each class will be 30 minutes for all streams throughout Ramadan.
In the light of Covid 19, the Ministry extended e-learning for all schools until the end of the academic year.