School bus services across the UAE will not be operational when students return to classrooms next week, the Ministry of Education confirmed Thursday, citing the need to complete coordination with transport authorities and municipalities before resuming the service.
The ministry said bus operations for all nurseries, kindergartens, and public and private schools have been postponed during the current phase to allow time for service readiness checks. “This will allow completion of operational readiness in coordination with relevant entities, including transport authorities and municipalities, to ensure service readiness in accordance with the highest safety standards,” it said.
The postponement will be reassessed on a weekly basis. “Any updates regarding the resumption of school bus services will be announced through the official approved channels,” the ministry added.
The transport announcement came within hours of a separate ministry statement confirming that in-person learning will resume for all students, teachers, and administrative staff starting Monday, April 20. The ministry said schools had completed the required readiness and preparation plans, including infrastructure checks, staff training, and updated safety and security procedures.
Private schools will retain flexibility to apply a hybrid rotational model when necessary, subject to local education authority oversight. The ministry specified, however, that schools using this model must schedule staff in a way that prevents a single teacher from handling both in-person and remote instruction at the same time — a condition framed as protecting education quality and balancing teacher workloads.
All educational institutions are expected to remain capable of shifting to alternative learning arrangements should circumstances require it.
