Just as we were getting on our feet, the emergence of the Omicron variant has ushered in a new wave of restrictions. In the first part of this global update, we gauge the temperature on the ground in Sweden and Dubai.

Sweden

Mats Rosenkvist, CEO of Successful Schools Sweden says the primary and secondary schools in Sweden have been open throughout the whole of the autumn term. However, higher education has continued with online teaching until the midterm.

Mats added that it has been an enjoyable experience for nearly all of those going back to school this term, but it has been challenging to re-establish general routines and full focus on teaching and learning. This situation has been made worse by the recommendation from the authorities to remain at home for all symptoms that could indicate Covid. Many teachers and pupils have done just that.

As a result, the overall workload for teachers in Sweden has been higher than usual and this has been increased further by the great difficulty many schools have had in finding temporary replacements.  The actual situation regarding this has varied from region to region and school to school.

Along with the rest of Europe, the new strain of Covid has arrived during the past month and many more schools have had to close and resort back to online teaching.

In response to these challenging conditions, the Minister of Education delayed the launch of a new national curriculum for primary and secondary schools which is due to be introduced for the Autumn term 2022. Preparation for this is now an additional assignment for all schools during spring term 2022 and summer terms. Opinions vary about whether this is a good strategy or not. A lot will depend on the hold that Covid has on the school community in the New Year.

The new Covid recommendations from the government as of this week are understandable but not the best Christmas gift for tired teachers and head teachers in Sweden.

As we know from our regular contributions from Mats, Sweden has continued to follow its own approach to managing the impact of Covid on its schools as well as grappling with issues of underperformance. Recommendations rather than directions are the government’s preferred approach, with a large amount of local and regional interpretation allowed. This heightens local autonomy and accountability but makes implementing an overall national strategy problematic.

Dubai

Many of us might consider Dubai a different part of the universe, with its desert climate, tourist attractions and lifestyle. Currently, with the Expo in full swing and vaccination rates in the country at 90 per cent-plus for all citizens, Dubai is welcoming visitors by the million. Traffic levels are the highest they have ever been and the malls are full and decked out for the festive season. Face masks have to be worn at all times in public spaces and hand sanitation is recommended. However, with everyone vaccinated, the showing of vaccination certificates as in many parts of Europe and Canada is not a prerequisite of entry into places such as restaurants.

Schools have been back to semi-normal for most of the term. The students have enjoyed

  • Access to more areas in the school such as play areas.
  • Been allowed to participate in school trips again including overnight stays in the desert – they even saw a scorpion.
  • Been able to sit with their classmates.
  • At break times that have been able to mix with other classes.

It is expected that next term they will be able to hand their exercise books to their teachers in person.

As with all holidays during the Covid era, the expat education community is trying to make contact with their families and friends.  Already those from South Africa are facing restrictions, whilst those in the UK intending to visit the Emirates during the school holidays are scanning the UK travel requirements daily to ensure they will still be allowed to return home after the break. Some have still not seen their family for more than two years.

The Christmas break has started early, but the welcome anticipation of this was tempered by the announcement on December 7 2021 by the UAE Government that from January 1 2022, all schools etc. will move to a four and a half day week, with the weekend falling from Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. This move from the traditional half day Thursday, Friday and Saturday is yet another indication of how things are changing in the Emirates. As you can imagine, with the short notice of this announcement and the festive season about to start, schools have been doing everything they can to ensure that their students’ education is not disrupted.

It’s too early to say what impact the Omicron variant will have on our correspondents and the education systems they represent, but we are all now at least used to making quick changes to our routines. In part two we will cover our other territories.

Take care and stay safe

George