School heads in UAE confident 'secure bubbles' on campus will help fight virus spread

With less than a month to go before the reopening of campuses, school heads in the UAE are confident that the strict measures in place will help keep students safe. Smaller classes and 'secure bubbles', in particular, will prevent Covid-19 transmission, they said.
Secure bubbles are where students will study and work only with members of the same group all throughout their classes. They will not change groups or mingle with others, school leaders explained.
Annie Mathew, principal of Gulf Model School, said: "In our blended model of learning, along with all other protocols, one of the strategies we have adopted is to maintain 'stable groups' of students in each class by continuing with distance learning for all optional subjects. This will prevent students from intermingling and will make 'contact tracing' easier, if need be."
Mathew added that Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has laid out "very clear and specific guidelines" and strictly following these would definitely help in curbing the spread of the virus.
Besides reduced class sizes and secure bubbles, temperature checks shall be carried out regularly; facilities will be thoroughly sanitised; good hand hygiene shall be maintained; social distancing will be strictly observed; and adequate ventilation ensured.
Raees Rahman, health and safety manager at Beam, said: "We will encourage frequent and correct hand hygiene-particularly after sneezing or coughing, before and after eating, sensory play and after going to the washroom. We will also educate the children to cough and sneeze into their sleeve (not the hands) or use a tissue to cover the mouth and nose."
Cleaning staff will be disinfecting frequently touched areas, such as door knobs, stair rails, telephones, computer keyboards and bathroom faucets, as part of daily routines, Rahman added.
Ready for emergencies
Schools also assured that they are well prepared in case a student develops flu or influenza symptoms.
Rahman said parents will be notified immediately if their child is not feeling well while at school or if he/she arrives ill.
"We will isolate the child promptly in a supervised area, away from others until their parents arrive," he added.
Deepika Thapar Singh, CEO-principal of Credence High School, said face-to-face classes will be stopped if a student presents flu symptoms. "However, learning will continue from home (remotely) until the student is completely symptom-free."
Authorities' flexible approach
As the education sector prepares for a planned reopening, Dubai's KHDA recognised parents' fears and advised schools to remain flexible.
In a recent announcement, it said: "While face-to-face learning remains the preferred education model, we understand that different parents have different views, especially in the first phases of reopening. As a temporary measure, schools can and should provide 100 per cent distance learning provision in the new academic year to parents who request it. This is intended to help ease parents and children into an eventual return to face-to-face learning."
In the Capital, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) has also approved "the option of full-time distance learning for the upcoming term".
"We have also dedicated a hotline which parents can use to report and address any concerns: 800-COMPLIANC(E) / 800-266754262," Adek said.
Dr Vajahat Hussain, CEO of Amity Education Middle East, said keeping parents informed has helped ease anxiety.
"Reopening schools in the UAE is a strong measure towards normalisation. The school environment can benefit a child's overall mental, physical and intellectual development. Consistent communication with parents on new protocols and systems for September has played a large role in easing fear," Dr Hussain said.
nandini@khaleejtimes.com