Free UAE schooling for Covid-hit students: How it works

Free UAE schooling for Covid-hit students: How it works

Over 500 expat students “” who have had to leave private schools because of financial woes “” are currently studying for free in Abu Dhabi's first Virtual Charter School. On Wednesday, education authorities in the Capital explained how the programme works.

"The Virtual Charter School is open to students of all nationalities whose families have been financially impacted by Covid-19. This not-for-profit public-private partnership model offers alternative education delivery which redresses learning loss in a pandemic and provides an invaluable bridge for students to continue their education,“ said Sara Musallam, chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek).

Offering a hybrid learning experience, the Virtual Charter School was launched in October 2020 for pupils who have had to drop out of school because their parents could no longer afford the fees. Currently, it follows the Ministry of Education (MoE) private school curriculum with potential expansion plans for wider curriculum diversity. It caters to students in Grades 5 to 11.

Besides admissions being free of charge, the school also supplies loaned digital devices to the students, the authority said in a statement.

Pupils who are enrolled in the charter school