Federal authorities have laid out a three-pronged approach to keeping students safe as the UAE prepares to resume the academic calendar following the spring break.
The Ministry of Education confirmed that all nurseries, kindergartens, and public and private schools will continue operating under distance learning for the first two weeks of the third academic term. Teaching and administrative staff are covered under the same arrangement. Officials said the situation will be assessed on a weekly basis, with updates relayed through official school channels.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research issued a parallel directive requiring all higher education institutions nationwide to maintain online instruction for the same two-week period. Universities retain discretion in determining suitable arrangements for their academic and administrative staff.
Private educational institutions — including schools, nurseries, and universities — are permitted to file requests to resume in-person operations, subject to review by relevant authorities and taking into account each institution’s operational and academic circumstances.
The measures build on a series of adjustments that have reshaped the school calendar since early March. Classes first moved online on March 2 following Iran’s attacks on Gulf states, including the UAE. The shift was initially set until March 6 before authorities extended it further. The spring break was subsequently moved forward, with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announcing it would run from March 9 to March 22, and regular classes scheduled to return March 23.
The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources separately announced flexible remote work provisions for parents employed in federal ministries and entities whose roles qualify for remote arrangements. The measure covers fathers and mothers with children in nurseries through Grade 8 and remains in effect for the duration of the distance learning period, subject to internal regulations within each federal entity.
