Aldar Academics – Abu Dhabi’s largest education provider – has announced a 20 per cent reduction in school fees while simultaneously investing a Dhs10 million into the future of distance learning
On April 7 2020, Aldar Academics announced new measures to support parents and guardians as the outbreak of coronavirus continues to impact schools and education across the UAE.
Aldar – first established in 2007 – stated that families would receive a 20 per cent cut in school fees for the third term of this academic year. Aldar also announced the establishment of an All In This Together fund to help families effected by the coronavirus outbreak.
As well as the fee cut, refunds will also be made for payments towards catering and transport expenses for the third term of the current academic year to all students enrolled in Aldar Academies and Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.
The fund, meanwhile, will provide families with the option to pay the remaining amount of the third term fees in instalments across a four-month period prior to the start of the next academic year in September 2020.
As for those who have already paid the full term fees, the discount will be credited to the first term for the following academic year – 2020-21.
As students continues to learn and teachers continue to guide through a distance learning program, the school also revealed a Dhs10 million investment into new technologies and infrastructure to facilitate the new style of education.
Talal Al Dhiyebi, CEO of Aldar, said in light of the announcement: “We promised, at the beginning of these difficult circumstances, that we will face them together.
“Everyone in the Aldar family is working tirelessly to explore methods that can help ease the burden on our people, customers, partners and the wider community.”
In a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19 it was announced on March 8, 2020 that schools across the UAE would be temporarily closing. Later on March 30, it was revealed that schools would remain shut until June – the rest of the academic year.
As a result, teachers have been reaching their students through distance learning approach, leaving home care givers to oversee and manage their children’s education – all while, for many, trying to work from home, too.
Currently, when it comes to questions such as – should school fees be cut? Should teachers receive a pay cut? Is distance learning here to stay – remain divisive or unanswered, with schools across the region taking different approaches,
Struggling with distanced learning? See our tips for creating a workspace to mimic a classroom when children are distance learning.