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Head teachers have urged older pupils to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to help to make the UAE s schools a safe environment.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Health and Prevention approved the use of the coronavirus vaccine for teenagers aged 16 and above.
Previously, anyone under the age of 18 was not allowed to be inoculated against the virus.
It is understood that teenagers
will receive the Sinopharm vaccine, which is one of
two
approved by authorities in the Emirates.
The drug was approved for nationwide use on December 9. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was first administered in Dubai two weeks later. Free and voluntary vaccination campaigns are under way for both.
Sonika Jain, a 44-year-old Indian banker, said she
already planned for her children to learn from home this term.
and 11
introduced distance learning.
“We chose online learning as the number of cases in the UAE has been on the rise, said Ms Jain.
“I am worried to send them back as cases are over 3,000 every day.
It is difficult for the children, but this is for their safety and ours
Nihal E
She said she taught her children to be independent and cook so they could take care of themselves while she was at work.
“My son has online classes to prepare
was giving a much-needed boost to parent
s’ confidence.
One Dubai school expects at least 1,000 pupils back on January 3 – up from 150 last term.
Many others across the UAE say more parents and pupils want in-person classes.
Sheela Menon, principal at Ambassador School, an Indian curriculum school in Dubai, said that in the last term, only 12 pupils out of 890
attended classes in person.
For the start of the new term on January 3, more than 250 of Ambassador’s pupils will be back for face-to-face lessons.
“We feel more confidence, optimism and willingness in parents to send children to school,”
Ms Menon said.
By September next year, school will welcome students up to Grade 8 Al Raha International School Image Credit: Supplied
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi’s Raha International School has opened its second branch in Khalifa City.
The new branch will also offer the International Baccalureate curriculum, just like the school’s first branch in Al Raha Gardens.
At present, the Khalifa City campus caters to children in the Early Years or kindergarten level, and to those in the Lower Primary level, the school announced in a statement. By September 2021, it will expand to welcome students up to Grade 8, and will eventually be able to accommodate 3,000 students from kindergarten to Grade 12.