In-person education begins today… and there is a remarkable demand for school supplies

Today, state schools begin in-person classes to complete the third semester of the academic year 2025-2026, as schools receive kindergarten children and students in grades one to 12, within the full in-person system, amid comprehensive readiness and precautionary measures that guarantee the safety of students and staff in the educational field, in accordance with ongoing efforts to ensure the continuity of the educational process with high efficiency and in a safe and organized environment.

The concerned authorities and school administrations confirmed their readiness to receive students again through a set of preparations, which included preparing classrooms, carrying out maintenance work, in addition to reorganizing study schedules in line with the requirements of the current stage.

In addition, yesterday, school supplies markets in the Eastern Province recorded a remarkable demand, with parents accelerating their preparations for the return of students to in-person studies, after a period of distance education.

This movement in the Eastern Region reflects a general state of readiness for students to return to school in the in-person system, which enhances the stability of the educational process and restores daily interaction within the school environment, after a period of reliance on distance education, at a time when parents expressed their happiness at the return of their children to classrooms, stressing that in-person education contributes to improving achievement and interaction, while students in turn expressed their enthusiasm to return and meet their colleagues and teachers, with families keen to complete all requirements to ensure an orderly start. And smooth.

In detail, outlets selling school uniforms and stationery in Fujairah and the cities of the Eastern Province recorded remarkable movement inside stores, in a scene that reflected an unprecedented demand compared to previous periods, as parents indicated that there was varying waiting inside some outlets, in light of the increased demand in a number of branches linked to some private schools.

For his part, a student’s guardian, Muhammad Hassan Al-Balushi, explained that the demand in outlets selling school uniforms and stationery required him to wait some time before obtaining the appropriate size, indicating that he moved between more than one store to complete his children’s needs, stressing that this remains a simple matter in light of his happiness with his children’s return to the in-person education system.

Meanwhile, Saeed Al-Dhanhani, a guardian of students in different stages of a private school in Fujairah, explained that the pressure of demand prevented the availability of some sizes in the stores he visited, which prompted him to go to alternative stores in search of school uniforms.

He stated that in-person education contributes to improving the level of academic achievement and enhancing interaction within the classroom, noting that his children’s joy in returning to school reduced the pressure of preparations, with his keenness to complete all requirements to ensure an organized and smooth start.

In turn, the guardian of students, Mazna Abdullah, stated that she faced noticeable crowding inside the stores, which forced her to wait and move between several outlets before she could complete her children’s requirements, in light of the increasing demand ahead of the in-person return, pointing out that the return of students to in-person education represents a priority for her despite the pressure of preparations.

In addition, student Maryam Al-Yamahi expressed her enthusiasm for returning to school, stressing her longing to meet her colleagues and teachers, and to practice school activities directly, after a period of distance education.

On a related note, merchants in the stationery sector in Fujairah, Kalba, and Khor Fakkan indicated that the demand for purchasing notebooks and school supplies has begun to gradually increase, with expectations that it will reach a peak, especially since many families prefer to postpone purchasing some needs until after verifying the actual school requirements.

In turn, Muhammad Al-Shafi’i, an employee in a library in the Emirate of Fujairah, explained that yesterday, which preceded the return of students to schools, witnessed the highest rates of crowding inside libraries, indicating that the sales movement focused on notebooks and basic tools, in addition to other supplies that parents were keen to complete after their children’s needs became clear precisely.

Directors of private schools in Dubai, Sharjah, and Ajman: Salma Eid, Lana Kubi, Shaima Ali, Khaled Abdel Hamid, Etidal Youssef, and Raed Qabil, confirmed to Emirates Today that the authorities supervising private education will intensify their field visits through specialized teams, to monitor the readiness of schools.

They stressed the need for students and parents to adhere to regulatory instructions, most notably regular attendance, work and departure times, bringing the student card or ID daily, especially for users of private vehicles, commitment to school transportation service according to the specified schedules, coordination with bus supervisors, adherence to the approved school uniform, and bringing books and school tools according to the approved schedules.

They explained that school canteens will operate regularly to meet the needs of students during break periods.

For its part, the authorities concerned with supervising private schools in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman have confirmed that school transportation services will be available according to approved schedules, ensuring the smooth arrival of students and the regularity of the school day.

The concerned authorities have identified a precise system of roles and responsibilities for all relevant parties, ensuring the disciplined implementation of the gradual return to in-person education in nurseries, kindergartens and schools, and at the same time ensuring the safety of students and the continuity of the educational process with high efficiency, in accordance with what was stipulated in the guide for the gradual return to in-person education for the academic year 2025-2026 circulated to schools.

She stressed that the school administration plays a pivotal leadership role in implementing the procedures, as it directly supervises the activation of all approved instructions and controls, and the approval of emergency and evacuation plans, in addition to evaluating the readiness of facilities and operational structure.

The administration’s tasks also include ensuring the readiness of educational staff, by training them to quickly respond to alerts, preparing specialized awareness materials in the fields of security, safety, and evacuation mechanisms, in addition to updating parents’ data to enhance the efficiency of communication, and ensuring that their written approvals are obtained for their children’s return to in-person education.

The concerned authorities explained that educational staff and supervisors bear direct responsibility for managing daily dealings with students, through strict adherence to implementing controls and guidelines, and providing continuous awareness of safety procedures.

She stressed the importance of their role as a key partner in making the return to school a success, by fully adhering to the instructions issued by schools and official authorities, adhering to the instructions during warning periods, as well as respecting attendance and departure times in accordance with the specified regulatory frameworks.

The concerned authorities explained in their letter to school administrations that the resumption of in-person studies to complete the third semester comes within the framework of a national strategy aimed at enhancing the quality of education and ensuring its sustainability, while continuing to follow developments and taking the necessary measures to ensure the highest levels of readiness and stability in the educational field.

Noticeable activity in tailoring shops

Tailoring shops in the Emirate of Fujairah and the cities of the Eastern Province witnessed remarkable activity, with a large number of families going to make urgent modifications to school uniforms in preparation for in-person education, out of concern for families to have the uniforms fully ready before the start of school, which raised the pace of work among tailors to higher levels than usual. The director of a tailoring shop in the Emirate of Fujairah, Salem Mohammed, said that the demand for modifications to school uniforms had witnessed a noticeable increase during the past four days, explaining that some of them preferred to tailor a new uniform with a request. It is completed and received urgently. The owner of a tailoring shop in the city of Khor Fakkan said that the nature of the requests during this period is largely focused on simple and quick modifications to the school uniform, such as shortening the trousers, adjusting the length of the sleeves, and modifying the sizes to suit the students. He explained that the work pressure doubles during this period compared to normal days, stressing that this season is one of the most active seasons for tailoring shops, given its unprecedented coincidence with the preparations for the students’ return to school. Schools have a direct attendance system, in addition to preparing Eid al-Adha requests, which imposes simultaneous pressure on services, and requires accelerating the pace of work to complete requests on time.

The movement extended to barbershops in the Eastern Province, which in turn prepared to receive large numbers of students, with many families preferring to get haircuts immediately before returning, which contributed to increasing demand during the last hours.

• Private school principals: School cafeterias operate regularly to meet the needs of students during break periods.