Pupils were taught in the same manner for about 200 years – from memorising maths tables and foreign language phrases, to cramming facts for exams.
Then, the pandemic came along and the world of learning changed completely.
Schools and universities around the world moved from in-person classes to online learning in a matter of weeks as a result of the pandemic.
Many children were away from face-to-face learning until late 2020, or even early this year.
The pandemic revolutionised education as schools, universities, and nurseries had to quickly adapt.
So what should we hold on to from the pandemic and what should we jettison?
Online learning - but not as you know it
In-person learning was disrupted by the pandemic, which forced classes to move online.
Worst case scenario: pupils were downloading study sheets assigned from some school intranet. Not great.
But the best use of this new technology should be here to stay – for good.
Lisa Johnson, principal at the American Academy for Girls in Dubai, said the way they taught pupils spurred teachers and parents to be more dynamic.
“We were teaching children like they were taught 200 years ago," she said.
"The pandemic forced us to transform our programmes to meet the needs of pupils. The ramp-up for that was incredibly steep but teachers stepped up and learnt how to do it."
She said the change was long overdue.
Concepts such as a flipped classroom, where pupils watch a recorded lesson beforehand and came to class to have a discussion, were not used much before the pandemic, but became popular during this period.
The method is closer to the way university students study before a group session.
When used best, it is how workplace employees come to a meeting to tackle a challenge.
Ms Johnson said she hoped the creativity and improvisation that had been injected into the system would continue post pandemic.
Lulu Akkila, an Emirati working mother of five and chair of the advisory board at the American Academy for Girls in Dubai, said that in the initial days of the pandemic, pupils, parents and schools were not prepared for online learning.
“The school put in effort to help parents with technical issues," Ms Akkila said.
“The technology played a major role in changing things around for parents and pupils, but not all children enjoyed online learning because they missed their friends."
She said online learning had its pros and cons
“While it opened doors for lots of opportunities for them and they could see their friends on Zoom, I was worried about my children spending so much time on their iPads,” she said.
Ms Akkila said she wanted her children to play and enjoy their childhood, not just spend time on their devices.
Mental health must escape its buzzword origins
The pandemic brought health pressures to the fore – in good ways and bad.
For all the recognition that was achieved in countless news articles and social media posts, what changed at the coalface of education?
In September, mental health and well-being studies will be part of the curriculum when Brighton College Dubai begins its sixth form class.
“Pupils and teachers' well-being really came to the fore – particularly teachers who were a long way from home," Richard Drew, principal at Jumeira Baccalaureate School, told The National.
Schools had to support pupils who were stranded abroad and could not come back to the country because of border closures.
Children's well-being became a concern in the region and countries around the world during the past year.
Nearly one in three teenagers in a 2020 US study said their mental health had suffered because of the pressures of the pandemic.
“After a couple of months, we realised that some pupils were thriving while others were crumbling,” Rehab Ali, academic director at Stars of Knowledge School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, told The National in March.
“Some teachers felt the pressure because they were supposed to handle the whole curriculum online.”
How teachers and parents talk now
Some schools in the UAE decided to move their parent-teacher-meetings online to help parents, particularly working parents, who struggled to attend sessions.
Parent evenings will be held online across all Taaleem schools after the practice proved popular with families.
"The way in which we communicated and met with pupils and parents changed during the pandemic,' Mr Drew said.
He said that previously parents would have to make appointments and come in and sometimes meetings would overrun or not all the parents would turn up.
Now, parents can book an appointment for a few minutes and need take only that time out of their schedules.
This shift mirrors a global trend to keep parent-teacher meetings online even after the pandemic.
In May, media in the UK reported that parents' evenings were likely to remain online beyond the pandemic.
Ms Johnson, at the American Academy for Girls in Dubai, said the school would offer virtual and in-person options to parents.
How do we help struggling teachers?
Because parents had to be more engaged than ever before in their children's learning, it made them appreciate the hard work teachers put in to educate young people.
In the early days of online learning, parents reported struggling to print worksheets and help children complete assignments.
"The pandemic has certainly led to parents appreciating the work and effort of teachers more," said Sheela Menon, principal at Ambassador School, an Indian curriculum school in Dubai.
"A prolonged model of virtual classes can be frustrating for both the parents and children.
"Neither are parents trained to play the role of a teacher nor is home always the best environment for developing social skills in children when they need to interact with a wider circle of peers."
Ms Johnson also said that parents of pupils in early years had more empathy for teachers now and understood the challenges they face.
"Teachers work incredibly hard and I have heard from parents about the support they received," she said.
Ms Akkila said that parents had to wear many hats during the pandemic, but teachers had it tougher.
"We [parents] did a lot of work that we were not used to. We were teachers as well as technicians for our children," she said.
"The teachers also had it very difficult. In addition to being teachers they were parents. Whatever role we played with our children, they could not be with their families.
Mr Drew said he was conscious about the mental health of his staff during the pandemic.
"The school ensured teachers were cared for and created a buddy system so they did not feel isolated. School officials would call teachers and make sure they felt supported," he said.
"School counsellors and teachers would meet pupils online, offer support or advice. Counselling was provided when needed."
The end of exams - at least for now?
Major summer exams were cancelled for most curricula this year including GCSEs, A Levels and Indian boards.
In the absence of exams, governments, schools, and boards had to rethink how to assess pupils.
This year, unlike in 2020 when an algorithm was used, teacher-assessed grades were given to A-level pupils, verified by exam boards.
Pupils in the UAE did not sit summer exams for the Central Board of Secondary Education this year after Indian authorities cancelled tests.
Children's school work and project work over the course of the year was assessed.
"The very concept of assessments and rewarding of grades underwent a massive change for the good," Sheela Menon sais.
Pearson, a major exam board, in a survey of 1,100 teachers in the UK found that eight of out 10 teachers said high-stake exams should be taken throughout the year.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
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Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
SQUADS
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (capt), Azhar Ali, Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Usman Salahuddin, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Asghar, Bilal Asif, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Lahiru Thirimanne (vice-capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Rangana Herath, Lakshan Sandakan, Dilruwan Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage
Umpires: Ian Gould (ENG) and Nigel Llong (ENG)
TV umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
ICC match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
DMZ facts
- The DMZ was created as a buffer after the 1950-53 Korean War.
- It runs 248 kilometers across the Korean Peninsula and is 4km wide.
- The zone is jointly overseen by the US-led United Nations Command and North Korea.
- It is littered with an estimated 2 million mines, tank traps, razor wire fences and guard posts.
- Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un met at a building in Panmunjom, where an armistice was signed to stop the Korean War.
- Panmunjom is 52km north of the Korean capital Seoul and 147km south of Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital.
- Former US president Bill Clinton visited Panmunjom in 1993, while Ronald Reagan visited the DMZ in 1983, George W. Bush in 2002 and Barack Obama visited a nearby military camp in 2012.
- Mr Trump planned to visit in November 2017, but heavy fog that prevented his helicopter from landing.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Company profile
Name: One Good Thing
Founders: Bridgett Lau and Micheal Cooke
Based in: Dubai
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 5 employees
Stage: Looking for seed funding
Investors: Self-funded and seeking external investors
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Fixtures (all in UAE time)
Friday
Everton v Burnley 11pm
Saturday
Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur 3.30pm
West Ham United v Southampton 6pm
Wolves v Fulham 6pm
Cardiff City v Crystal Palace 8.30pm
Newcastle United v Liverpool 10.45pm
Sunday
Chelsea v Watford 5pm
Huddersfield v Manchester United 5pm
Arsenal v Brighton 7.30pm
Monday
Manchester City v Leicester City 11pm
RIDE%20ON
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Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%3A%20Shredder's%20Revenge
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HOW TO WATCH
Facebook: TheNationalNews
Twitter: @thenationalnews
Instagram: @thenationalnews.com
TikTok: @thenationalnews
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
match info
Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 37')
Atletico Madrid 1 (Costa 39')
Man of the match Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
