British Council resumes in-class English courses in UAE

Dubai: The British Council has resumed face-to-face English courses in the UAE for the start of the new school term.

Classes for secondary students, primary students and adults are now available across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah and they will be combined with online guided learning that students can do independently at home.

This development comes on the back of guidelines issued by the local health authority and the government, according to which, teaching centres must adhere to a number of health and safety precautions to protect staff, teachers and students. In addition to physical distancing, other precautionary measures in place include temperature screening at the entrance, the use of face masks and hygiene stations.

Speaking about the resumption, Gareth Newman, director English, British Council, said: “We started IELTS, the English language test, in June and that’s gone really well. Since then, we have been working hard over the last few months to ensure that our face-to-face classes can be delivered in a secure and enjoyable environment, using similar health and safety measures in line with government guidance. We started courses for adults in August and young learners in September. We are giving as much choice as possible, so if a parent wants their child to study online, they can. And those that do return to class also know that classes can be moved online if necessary.”