- Dubai schools are ordered to offer online learning due to the expected unstable weather.
- The KHDA recommends all Dubai schools provide a remote learning alternative on Monday.
- Some schools have shortened the usual one-week break to a long weekend.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), overseeing Dubai schools, urgently directed all schools to be adaptable and offer online learning, ensuring families don't need to venture out on potentially hazardous roads during the forecasted stormy weather.
On Sunday, February 11, the KHDA posted on social media:
“With unpredictable weather predicted, we ask all Dubai private schools, nurseries, and universities to be flexible when considering the needs of parents, staff, and students and provide the option of distance learning on Monday, February 12. Stay safe, everyone.”
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Hazardous weather alert
An amber weather alert, signifying "Be Prepared," has been declared across the UAE by the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) from 1 a.m. on Sunday, February 2nd, until noon on Tuesday, February 13th.The NCM warning anticipates severe rain, thunderstorms, and lightning throughout all regions of the UAE on Monday, February 12th, along with decreased driving visibility and temperatures dropping as low as 13 degrees Celsius.
“Convective cloud formation is accompanied by rainfall of different intensities and fresh winds that are strong at times, causing blowing dust and deteriorating horizontal visibility.”
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UAE Weather Alert: Dubai Rain Triggers Monday School Closures Amid Storm Threat[/caption]
The UAE National Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA) has released a statement regarding the anticipated hazardous weather conditions, urging residents to adhere to official guidance and adopt necessary safety precautions while driving.
“NCEMA, in collaboration with the Joint Assessment Team, is enhancing preparedness for the anticipated drop in temperatures and weather fluctuations. Emphasis is placed on adhering to safety measures and preventing the dissemination of rumors.”
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UAE Weather Alert: Dubai Rain Triggers Monday School Closures Amid Storm Threat[/caption]
School is out, but aren’t they closed anyway?
The KHDA has recommended all Dubai schools provide a remote learning alternative on Monday, February 12th, although numerous (though not all) schools will already be closed for the February half-term break.
Half-terms, also referred to as mid-term breaks, typically constitute a one-week vacation occurring halfway through the academic term. Given that we are presently at the midpoint of the spring term, numerous UAE schoolchildren, including those attending Safa Community School, Dubai International Academy (an IB-curriculum school), and Raffles International School (a UK-curriculum school), are scheduled to enjoy a full week off from February 12th to February 16th, 2024.
However, certain schools have chosen to truncate the usual one-week break to merely a long weekend. For instance, the US-curriculum GEMS Dubai American Academy will only observe Monday, February 12th, as a holiday. Conversely, IB school Raffles World Academy and the IB/American school Collegiate International School have elected to take a long weekend at the conclusion of next week, with Thursday, February 15th, and Friday, February 16th, designated as days off.
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Additionally, numerous schools, especially those adhering to the Indian curriculum, do not observe a mid-term break. Instead, they will await their next school vacation in March, when Spring Break commences after school on Friday, March 22nd, 2024.
For these schools, offering a distance learning option on Monday, February 12th, will be a prudent approach to ensure students can remain safe and continue their learning uninterrupted, irrespective of the weather conditions.
