Daijiworld Media Network – Dubai
Dubai, May 9: Students, parents and teachers across the UAE are awaiting a major announcement on May 10 that will determine whether schools and universities will continue with remote learning or resume full classroom teaching next week.
The UAE Ministry of Education said the country’s learning model for the coming period — whether online or in-person — will be decided after authorities complete a nationwide safety assessment in coordination with relevant agencies.
The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research stated that universities and higher education institutions will receive updated directives on Sunday evening.
Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is also expected to issue separate guidance for private schools and educational institutions in the emirate.
Officials said the decision is focused on ensuring student and staff safety while maintaining uninterrupted academic learning.
The announcement follows the UAE’s decision to shift schools, nurseries and universities back to distance learning from May 5 to May 8 after renewed regional tensions and emergency alerts across the country.
Authorities clarified that all examinations and international assessments will continue in physical mode as per approved schedules, even though the broader education model remains under review.
The return to online learning came after heightened regional security concerns linked to renewed Iranian attacks earlier this month.
On May 4, emergency alert systems were activated multiple times across the UAE after authorities confirmed the interception of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones launched from Iran. Officials later stated that UAE air defence systems successfully intercepted 12 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and four drones.
As a precautionary measure, education authorities ordered a nationwide transition to remote learning across public and private schools, universities and nurseries.
Officials said the UAE’s education system has become highly adaptable to rapid shifts between classroom and online learning following reforms introduced after the COVID-19 pandemic.
School administrations resumed online timetables, digital attendance systems and virtual classes with minimal disruption.
Authorities repeatedly stressed that student safety remains the country’s highest priority while ensuring continuity in education during uncertain situations.
The UAE’s flexible education system is now being viewed as one of the strongest outcomes of its post-pandemic reforms.
Students had only recently returned to physical classrooms on April 20 after nearly seven weeks of remote learning linked to earlier regional tensions. Authorities had conducted extensive safety inspections, operational checks and staff preparedness programmes before reopening campuses nationwide.
Even after reopening, schools and universities were instructed to remain prepared for immediate transitions if the security situation changed again.
Several institutions, including Middlesex University Dubai and American University of Sharjah, adopted hybrid learning systems allowing some students to continue classes remotely depending on operational requirements.
In Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) directed schools to maintain full teaching standards during remote learning. Institutions were instructed to conduct live interactive classes, monitor attendance daily and carry out regular student wellbeing checks.
Officials stressed that online learning must deliver the same academic standards as physical classrooms rather than reduced or simplified schedules.
Education regulators said schools and universities remain prepared to continue with remote learning, hybrid systems or full classroom reopening depending on the outcome of ongoing safety reviews.
Parents across the UAE are closely monitoring the situation due to concerns related to examinations, transport arrangements, childcare and student wellbeing.
School operators noted that one of the biggest changes since the pandemic is the ability of teachers, students and parents to quickly transition between learning models without major disruption.
The May 10 decision is expected to impact millions of students studying in public schools, private institutions, universities and nurseries across the UAE.