Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Wednesday, Oct 01, 2025

School reopening: Dubai teachers have to undergo tests for COVID-19; seven centres opened

School reopening: Dubai teachers have to undergo tests for COVID-19; seven centres opened

Teachers and administrative staff of Dubai schools will have to undergo PCR tests for COVID-19 prior to reopening, a top official said.

Answering residents questions as part of the #AskDXBOfficial initiative, an initiative of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO) that gives the public a chance to ask questions to Dubai’s senior government officials, Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), on Thursday evening said, "Seven schools in Dubai have been selected as PCR testing centres for COVID-19 so that teaching and adaministrative staff can undergo tests and assure parents that it is safe to send their children to school."

He was replying to specific questions about the reopening of schools for the new academic year.

Schools are implementing the precautionary measures properly, he said, adding, “We visited schools to ensure their compliance with health protocols and precautionary measures. We will continue to regularly visit schools and make sure they continue to implement these measures.”

Parents will have the choice to choose between school attendance and online classes in the first semester, he said.

School fees


Regarding school fees, he said: “The choice of distance learning does not impact the fees. But we understand that many schools are putting together different packages to support parents who have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

We encourage parents to have confidential discussions with the schools. Most of the schools that we talked to are very keen to help out as much as possible. These are the kind of conversations we would like to see between the schools and the parents themselves.”

Dr Karam encouraged parents and students to focus on the positives of the school reopening while ensuring preventive measures are strictly followed.

Emphasising the importance of celebrating the human side of the reopening he said: “While we have the precautions in place and adhere to it, we have to understand it’s going to be an exciting time.

We’re going to see people we haven’t seen in six months. We’re going to hear stories. We’re going to talk about it. Let’s focus on the positive side of going back and meeting friends and sharing a laugh.”

“Let us not forget the joy and the fun and the good feeling we get from seeing our friends. We look forward to the stories. It is such an important day for all of us. When you’re back to school, you’re back to life.”

Schools will be following specific health and safety guidelines to protect students and staff, Dr. Al Karam said. All schools have submitted detailed re-opening readiness plans that outline safety measures, including social distancing, temperature checks, PE lessons, break times and school start times.

“More than a month ago, the Dubai Government created a very clear protocol for schools and education. It is a very thorough protocol designed by specialists and it’s always been on the conservative side because we have over 300,000 kids going to school,” he said.

Shared responsibility


The KHDA director general further said keeping students safe is a shared responsibility between parents and schools. “It will take all of us to come together to make sure that we are adhering to those standards because our safety is important, and the safety of others is important.

I hope they will all enjoy the experience of going back to school,” he said. KHDA urges parents to teach their children to follow good hygiene practices, behave responsibly and respectfully and work with teachers to ensure a safe environment for everyone."

Dr Al Karam confirmed that higher education institutions will also reopen depending on the schedules followed by them or their mother campuses. All universities will be required to follow the Protocols for Reopening of Higher Education Institutions.

The KHDA team is currently evaluating the individual reopening plans of the institutions.

On the blended learning model to be followed by schools, Dr. Al Karam said: “Some parents and students want to continue distance learning. Distance learning as an option will stay with us, especially at the beginning, until things get better for everyone.”

Reopening of nurseries


On the reopening of nurseries, he said: “We are working with federal authorities to decide protocol requirements and the timing of the announcement. People want to go back to work and they want their kids to be in their nurseries.

We have teachers who want to be in the nurseries and teach in the school. As we go back to work, school and universities, the reopening of nurseries is very important to us.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
×