Schools and unis across Middle East move online as Iran tensions escalate

Schools and universities in the region have been instructed to shift to online learning after the Gulf was rocked by a wave of Iranian strikes – retaliation after Iran was hit with strikes from the US and Israel at the weekend.

Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) announced on X that distance learning will remain in place for private educational institutes until Friday March 6 as a precautionary measure, with institutes across the emirate working quickly to implement the advice.

“Classes were live on approved platforms within hours, academic schedules were maintained (including Ramadan timings), and essential operations continued either remotely or on campus as appropriate. For our residential students, we have worked to ensure stability and support, recognising that this period is understandably unsettling,” Kyle Long, president of the American University in Dubai, wrote in a LinkedIn post, calling the institution’s efforts “a true whole-of-university response”.

“I am proud of how our team rose to meet the moment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced that schools and universities would move learning online until further notice, with Bahrain making a similar call for its higher education institutions.

Institutions are working to address the uncertainly staff and students in the region are feeling as events unfold.

“I know this is a particularly worrying and unsettling time for you, and many across our university will also be concerned for family, friends and colleagues across the region,” said Richard Williams, principal and vice-chancellor of Heriot-Watt, which has a branch campus in Dubai.

Via a video message, he reassured those affected that safety was always the institution’s “first priority” and that its teams were “closely monitoring developments” and planning for a range of different scenarios.

“At moments like this, the strength of our global community matters more than ever… Please take care of yourselves and each other,” he said.

At moments like this, the strength of our global community matters more than ever… Please take care of yourselves and each other
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The international K-12 sector in the Middle East has expanded in recent years, following a rise in expat families in the region seeking high-quality education for their children.

The Council of British international Schools (COBIS) said in a statement that it was aware that some of its member schools in the region had been “directly impacted, with some temporarily closing their campuses and moving to online provision”.

“We recognise that this is a deeply difficult and uncertain time for students, staff, families, and wider school communities. Our thoughts are with all those affected,” it said.

Hugh Viney, founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA) – which conducts all of its tuition online – told The PIE News that the school’s initial response was concern for all of its staff and families in the region. Although a UK-headquartered school, MVA recently opened a regional hub in Abu Dhabi, and Viney said a “significant chunk” of the school’s community is based in the Gulf.

As MVA’s teaching is carried out online, the government-directed move towards online teaching did not affect its daily operations, he said. But “unsurprisingly, this week we have seen a large uptick of enquiries in MVA because of our expertise in remote schooling”, Viney added.

Reports suggest that some schools in Oman are also moving to online provision. Subject to government advice, all schools in Oman’s Musandam governorate will operate remotely until the end of this week to ensure staff and student safety.  

However, The PIE understands that institutions in neighbouring Saudi Arabia are not subject to the same advice.

Steffen Sommer, director general at Misk Schools in Saudi Arabia, told The PIE it was important that schools followed “centralised advice” from the government rather than making individual decisions to move to online provision in light of recent events.

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