UAE parents working from home prepare to return to office as in-person school begins

As schools around the UAE move back towards in-person learning, many parents who have spent months balancing remote work with supervising children at home are now preparing for a major shift in their daily routines. 

While some families have welcomed the return to classrooms as a long-awaited step towards normality, others say a gradual or hybrid approach would better reflect the realities facing working households.

Parents who spoke to Khaleej Times said the decision appears to have been carefully studied, but opinions remain divided over how quickly students should return full time and how transport arrangements should be handled.

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Meitha Al Ketbi, a teaching assistant, said the ministry’s decision was well considered and supported by careful planning. She noted that hybrid learning options and additional support for students with learning difficulties showed that authorities had taken both challenges and opportunities into account.

“Thank you to our rulers, ministers, everyone who studied and planned, and everyone who contributed to the survey and explained the challenges and positives that helped in the return to schools. Rest assured, everything has been studied and planned for.”

However, other parents said a full return may place too much pressure on families, especially those relying on school buses and fixed work schedules.

Maha Khaled, the mother of a Grade 10 advanced-stream student at a private school, said she does not support a complete return at this stage and would prefer students to resume classroom learning gradually.

“I am not in favour of a full return. I support gradual hybrid learning. It should not be that everyone goes back on Monday. Some students can learn online and some in school. I also do not agree with the bus decision. I am an employee and I have arranged bus transport for my son. I cannot take him to school myself and then go back at noon to pick him up.”

Another parent Hind, said the long school day and commute can leave children too exhausted to keep up with homework.

“The children are not even able to complete their homework when they return from school. I do not advise a return to in-person classes; online is better. In-person schooling has its drawbacks. The child wakes up at 5.30am and does not return until 3pm. The school day is long, there is traffic, and the term is almost over. I would also prefer shorter hours, especially since I have three daughters.”

Still, not all parents share those concerns. Some said face-to-face learning remains the best option academically and emotionally.

Umm Nouh, a mother of two boys, said she was very pleased with the move back to school-based learning.

“I am very happy with the decision. Studying at school is the best choice because children learn better there. There is more communication with the teacher, better understanding, and even psychologically they feel more engaged when they are in the school environment.”

For many working parents, the return to classrooms also signals the end of an unusual period in which home, school and office merged into one space. 

As they prepare to head back to their workplaces, families say flexibility will be key. Whether through full in-person attendance or a phased hybrid model, parents agree on the point that the transition must continue to put students’ learning, wellbeing and family realities at the centre of the decision-making process.