UAE Ministry of Education clarifies spring break dates for teachers and students

Late on Tuesday evening, the Ministry of Education (MoE) declared that all schools and universities across the UAE would be shut for four weeks starting from Sunday, March 8.

وزارة التربية والتعليم تعلن عن المواعيد المرتبطة بتقديم إجازة الربيع.. متمنين للجميع دوام التوفيق والنجاح.#وزارة_التربية_والتعليم #المدرسة_الإماراتية pic.twitter.com/mtmhmNC5ys

— وزارة التربية (@MOEducationUAE) March 5, 2020

However, on Thursday, it tweeted, clarifying that for students, the spring break would extend from Sunday, March 8 to Thursday, March 19.

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

The students will not have to return to school for the following two weeks after that. However, educational institutions will have to facilitate distance learning programmes for these students.

The distance learning programmes for all school students will therefore begin from Sunday, March 22 until Thursday, April 2.

On Wednesday, the UAE minister of education, visited the operations room of the Abu Dhabi Technical Center that is operational 24 hours a day to facilitate the “study via the smart platform” experience for all the educational institutions of the center.

معالي حسين الحمادي وزير التربية والتعليم يزور غرفة عمليات مركز #أبوظبي_التقني @actvetuae والتي تعمل طوال 24 ساعة لمتابعة سير تجربة “الدراسة عبر المنصة الذكية” لكافة المؤسسات التعليمية التابعة للمركز . pic.twitter.com/CWdCOAuGu4

— وزارة التربية (@MOEducationUAE) March 5, 2020

The third term for UAE schools will begin on Sunday, April 5, when regular school attendance is expected to take effect for all students.

However, the spring break for teachers and administrative staff will extend for only one week from Sunday, March 8 to Thursday, March 12.

دعما للقطاع الصحي وإجراءته المتخذة، وزارة التربية والتعليم تدعوا الطلبة والعاملين في المنشآت التعليمية القادمين من السفر خارج الدولة عمل الفحص الطبي اللازم والتزام الحجر الصحي المنزلي لمدة 14 يوماً للتأكد من خلوهم من المرض، حيث لن يسمح لهم بدخول المنشآت التعليمية قبل ذلك.#كورونا pic.twitter.com/UQ0oQ8pb5n

— وزارة التربية (@MOEducationUAE) March 5, 2020

The ministry further urged all citizens and residents to avoid travelling outside of the country due to the coronavirus outbreak.

For those that do travel outside of the country, the ministry asked that they subject themselves to checks to ensure that they are free of the virus before returning to school.

The tweet read: “In support of the health sector and its measures, the Ministry of Education invites students and workers in educational facilities coming from travelling outside the country to perform the necessary medical examination and adhere to a home quarantine period of 14 days to ensure that they are free of disease, as they will not be allowed to enter educational facilities before that.”

Read: Coronavirus: UAE government schools to pilot distance learning programme

The MoE said on Tuesday that it would begin piloting learn-from-home programmes across all government schools for Grades 6-12 on Wednesday and Thursday.

82533 students in the third cycle of government schools will experience distance learning at their homes today#وزارة_التربية_والتعليم #المدرسة_الإماراتية pic.twitter.com/nEaSKDCXJk

— وزارة التربية (@MOEducationUAE) March 5, 2020