UAE schools begin Term 3 with distance learning from across the world

Dubai: Hundreds of thousands of students logged on to begin their third academic term on Monday from homes scattered across the UAE and far beyond its borders, as public and private schools following the national and international curricula resumed distance learning following the spring break.

The move follows a directive from UAE education authorities ordering two weeks of remote learning at the start of Term 3, amid the ongoing Iranian aggression.

Schools across the UAE used the break to prepare rapidly for the online restart, even as several students and some faculty members remained overseas, with many having travelled after the spring break was brought forward by a week due to regional tensions.

Logging in from abroad

Perhaps the most striking feature of day one was its global reach. Students and teachers joined their lessons from different time zones and countries, with school heads describing the experience as largely smooth despite the logistical complexity.

"At Bloom World Academy in Dubai, a number of families and some staff are currently accessing lessons from abroad and across different time zones, and attendance has remained very high," said John Bell, Executive Principal.

“That said, most of our community is still based in Dubai, which has supported consistency,” he explained.

Bell added that well-being was a central focus, with the school hosting virtual assemblies and small group check-ins, and the executive principal set to share a video message with the entire school community at the end of each day to offer reassurance, clarity, and a sense of direction for the days ahead.

At Brighton College Abu Dhabi, Headmaster Barney Durrant said the engagement on the first day had been "fantastic, whether pupils have been in Abu Dhabi itself or further afield," adding that staff had "worked tirelessly throughout the last week of the holiday" to prepare engaging online lessons.

Hampton Heights British Private School in Ajman reported one teacher joining remotely from abroad for medical reasons. “He’ll be available online as needed,” said Principal Tony McSheffrey.

“We don’t have student data for abroad logins yet, as IP addresses will need to be tracked," he said.

At Woodlem American School in Ajman, Principal Marah Kaddoura said faculty members logging in from abroad had found the transition smooth. “Teachers were well prepared, with lessons carefully planned and delivered using interactive tools,” she said.

Technical hiccups on day one

The main challenge schools faced on the first day was technical. Several school heads reported login difficulties, password issues on platforms such as Microsoft Teams, and email activation problems. IT teams worked to resolve them swiftly, with most issues cleared by the second period of the day.

At Hampton Heights, McSheffrey noted that a few students were late for period one but that “attendance picked up well from period two onwards.” He flagged a new scheduling challenge: the online timetable has been extended beyond Ramadan timings to eight periods of 40 minutes each.

Focus on resilience

Arcadia British School Executive Principal Giles Pruett said digital well-being was the central challenge his team was addressing.

“We are continually working to ensure that our students in different regions remain connected with their teachers and peers, while implementing digital check-ins to prevent the isolation often associated with remote access,” he said, adding that both Arcadia British School and Arcadia Global School had “transformed potential disruptions into a demonstration of community resilience.”

New learning programme

Meanwhile, schools within the Cognita Group — including the Repton family of schools, Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, Horizon International School, Horizon English School, Ranches Primary School and Al Ain English Speaking School — launched what they are calling a Learning Continuity and Connection Programme, combining live teaching, independent study and personalised mentoring.

The initiative also includes dedicated parent portals with timetables, attendance guidance and teacher contact details.

"Our approach has been carefully designed to ensure that students continue to benefit from clear routines, high-quality teaching and regular connection with their teachers and school community," said Ian Wallace, Director of Education, Cognita Middle East.

While the first day was broadly positive, school leaders acknowledged that sustaining engagement, particularly among high school students, would require continued effort from teachers, parents and students alike. Authorities will review the situation weekly, with updates shared through official school channels.