The decision to allow pupils back into classrooms in September has not yet been taken, UAE education officials said on Sunday.
The Ministry of Education said the end of e-learning and reopening of schools for pupils was “still under review” and would depend on ongoing efforts to combat the coronavirus.
State news agency Wam carried the statement after a senior official told an audience that authorities were looking at three scenarios for future schooling nationwide.
Speaking at a majlis event on Friday, Fawzia Gharib, assistant undersecretary at the ministry, said one scenario was that e-learning from home would continue to account for 100 per cent of lessons, local media reported.
The other two scenarios were based on a gradual return to classes – but neither had pupils in school classrooms 100 per cent of the time.
Under the best case scenario, and with the Covid-19 outbreak under control, pupils would do 70 per cent of their study in school and 30 per cent at home.
“The ministry further clarified that any decision for the academic year 2020-2021 is still under review and will be taken based on the health situation and precautionary measures,” the ministry said later.
Since March, schools have used a combination of home assignments and live, online lessons with teachers to keep pupils up to date with their curriculum.
Last week, the government said all schools would be inspected this month to determine if e-learning was working and where their strengths and weaknesses lay.
Many headteachers said the exercise was a chance to step back and evaluate the past few months, but urged inspectors to understand the pressure that pupils, parents and teachers were under.
© The National