No intent to end the academic year early – UAE Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education in the UAE has refuted claims made across news outlets and social media, suggesting its intent to end the academic year 2019/20 and to continue the e-learning system till the end of the year.

Terming the reports as ” baseless rumours” the Ministry confirmed that no decision has been made on the matter.

The Ministry of Education termed what is being circulated on social media and across media outlets about its intention to end the academic year and continue the distance e-learning system till the end of the school year as ”inaccurate”. pic.twitter.com/EVaDYKwc2V

— وزارة التربية (@MOEducationUAE) March 11, 2020

This news comes in the wake of the government’s decision to close down all public and private schools, colleges and universities for a period of four weeks, beginning March 8. A distance learning initiative has also been announced.

Read: Schools, colleges in the UAE to close for four weeks from March 8

In ongoing efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus, Dubai Municipality oversaw the implementation of a sterilisation procedures across 80 private schools in Dubai, Dubai Media Office reported.

.@DMunicipality oversees implementation of sterilisation programme in private schools. #Dubai https://t.co/SAHLb3a1Xq pic.twitter.com/07jZIjRjf5

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 11, 2020

Overall, the sterilisation programme is being implemented in 208 private schools in Dubai to ensure the health and safety of 300,000 students as well as staff, according to Dr. Naseem Mohammed Rafee, head of Dubai Municipality’s public health and safety department.

The sterilisation process in each school will take between 6-48 hours depending on the size of the facility.

The UAE has reported a total of 74 cases so far, of which 17 are said to have fully recovered.