Many schools across the UAE offered optional online Fridays during Ramadan, giving families relief from traffic, fasting fatigue and tight schedules
For Dubai parent Mehnaz, Fridays usually mean a half-hour school run to a campus barely a kilometre away — all for a shortened day. So when her children’s school announced optional online learning on the first Friday of the holy month, it felt like a small but meaningful relief.
“It was the best decision and because of it, everyone was able to have a very relaxed morning,” she said. “With Friday Jumuah prayers and Ramadan schedules, the time spent in school and on the road isn’t really worth the trouble.”
She said that her kids, who are in Year 12 and Year 7, did not have online lessons, but had to complete tasks that were assigned to them by their respective subject teachers.
“They were also asked to post something on the subject teams as an acknowledgement of attendance,” she said. “They were given clear instructions on how to complete their assignment and how they would be graded. So, studies happened but they also got time to relax and rest after their Suhoor meal.”
Several schools offered parents the option to allow their wards to attend classes online on Fridays during the holy month of Ramadan in UAE. For many like Mehnaz, this was a great relief as it gave them the opportunity to rest and recharge while fasting from dawn to dusk.
Parent Cate Joseph said that she was sent a questionnaire by her children’s school last week to ask if she wanted to opt for online school on Friday. “I am not fasting, but I know friends who are, and I knew how much of a relief it would be to have online schooling,” she said. “So, I opted for the online option. The school later gave us the option to go in person to school or complete tasks online.”
She said on Friday, her children were extra happy to sleep a little longer and complete their tasks at leisure. Similarly, Dubai mother Shabna Ibrahim said that one of her kids had the option for online school but her second child, who is in primary, had to go in person.
“For me, it wasn’t worth driving all the way to school just for my five-year-old daughter,” she said. “So, we decided to stay home. This meant extra-long cuddles after suhoor. Also, my younger one decided to try fasting as it was too challenging for her while attending school.”
Even among families who did not have the option of online classes, the impact was noticeable. Indian expat Tayyaba Anwar took her children in Year 12 and Year 2 to school on Friday morning. “My elder daughter doesn’t like online school, so she was happy to go,” she said. “My younger one might have liked to stay home but we were not given the option to have an online session.”
She added that the traffic was quite smooth from her house in Mirdiff. “I think because a lot of students had the option of online school, the entire drive from home to school as a breeze,” she said. “Usually the drive takes me about 25 minutes but today it took barely 12 to 15 minutes.”
For many parents, the flexible Friday wasn’t just about avoiding traffic. It was about easing the rhythm of Ramadan — balancing school commitments with fasting, prayer and family time.
© Khaleej Times
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