Sharjah announces reopening date for nurseries, return to campus for school teachers, admin staff

Sharjah: Administrative and teaching staff in private schools and nurseries in Sharjah will commence in-person attendance from Wednesday, April 15, the Sharjah Private Education Authority announced on Tuesday night.

This is pursuant to the decision of the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council and to ensure readiness and provide training on emergency and crisis protocols, SPEA said on social media.

Nurseries ready to reopen

SPEA also announced the reopening of some nurseries from April 16, subject to completion of staff training.

It said that nurseries located in government facilities and commercial buildings in the emirate will be ready to receive children from Thursday, April 16, in line with a decision by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council.

"This is subject to the completion of training for nursery administrative and teaching staff on emergency and crisis protocols, to ensure the children return to a safe and supportive environment," the authority said.

Abrupt announcements?

Sources told Gulf News that SPEA had sent the circulars to educational institutions earlier in the day, indicating that the teachers and administrative staff had already been informed about the authority’s decisions and the late-night social media posts were not abrupt announcements.

The directives followed the announcement by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council, which earlier on Tuesday said that educational institutions in the UAE are prepared for a phased return to on-site learning, with some nurseries among the first to reopen in stages this week.

The Sharjah announcement came hours after the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai issued a similar announcement confirming that private early childhood centres in the emirate will begin a gradual return to on-site operations from Thursday, April 16.

Priority will be given to nurseries located in government buildings and commercial premises, while others will be allowed to continue providing home-based childcare services under approved regulations, it was announced.

However, reopening of early childhood centres in Dubai will be subject to KHDA approval and in line with comprehensive safety regulations and procedures to ensure a safe and supportive environment for children, KHDA clarified.