When Iran first attacked the UAE with missiles and drones, the strikes disrupted nurseries, schools and universities across the country as classes were swiftly taken online to ensure the safety of young people and staff alike.
Confronted by this abrupt change, working mother Yogitta Chakrabortty was one of many UAE residents who stepped up to help her community by opening her townhouse in Dubai’s Jumeirah Village Circle for eight children aged three and four years old.
“When the school suggested that parents can be hosts, not many people said yes because it’s a lot of work,” she told The National. “It is a responsibility when eight kids come home but it has been going well – the children are happy; the parents are happy.”
Happy children, happy parents – however most children had to learn from their own homes and did not benefit from the ability of learning physically with other students. Thus Thursday’s decision by the Ministry of Education to resume in-person learning for all public and private nurseries, kindergartens and schools from Monday will lead to more happy children and benefits.
For many young people, the past few weeks have been an unwelcome reminder of the isolation the characterised the Covid-19 years. Although remote learning allows education to continue, it often demands a change of approach to studying and coursework. Less in-person support and fewer opportunities to work collaboratively with classmates, as well as the accompanying lack of socialising, prove the indispensability of the classroom. For educators, too, the sudden upheaval of carefully prepared teaching plans can be hard. However, safety precautions and a strong digital infrastructure allowed for an immediate move to online learning, ensuring minimal disruption when the war started.
As young people go back to their nurseries, classrooms and lecture halls, more parents will be freed up to resume working. This helps to stabilise workplaces and give families the sense that things are slowly getting back on track. All the other essentials of school and college life – the after-school activities and social clubs – can carefully resume.
The return to in-person education reflects quiet confidence in the authorities’ ability to accurately assess safety conditions
There is no doubt that the Iran war has caused real disruption to education across the region. Aside from the switch to remote learning, international A-level and GCSE examinations were cancelled in a number of countries. Leading UK education boards confirmed this month that summer exams for school leavers and university hopefuls would be cancelled. This situation will take time to correct.
However, the return to in-person education reflects quiet confidence in the authorities’ ability to accurately assess safety conditions as well as national systems that can adapt to unpredictable circumstances. Monday’s return to the classroom will require careful scrutiny and management of safety, logistics and pupils’ learning oversight. But, although uncertainty may linger, seeing young people back together again will be a visible sign of the resilience of communities.