Pupils can continue with online learning for the first term of school, education chiefs confirmed on Sunday.
As schools gear up to reopen on August 30, parents of pupils at all private and public institutions can pick in-person classes or continue with remote learning.
The Ministry of Education said the move aims to safeguard the health of staff and pupils.
Private education regulators in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi had earlier confirmed that pupils at private facilities would have a distance learning option.
"Parents have been allowed to freely choose between their children's mode of attendance, face to face at school or through distance learning, for the first term, to achieve stability within the school community and to ensure the safety of our students, while meeting the requirements of physical distancing," the ministry said.
About 1,099,331 children at 1,262 private and public schools across the UAE will start the new academic year on August 30.
And education chiefs have developed comprehensive plans for a gradual return of pupils to UAE's schools.
They have been closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Also on Sunday, Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) announced that pupils at Abu Dhabi's private schools will have a staggered return.
Only those in kindergarten or foundation stage two to year six will return to school for in-person classes on August 30.
Children in year seven and above will start face-to-face classes four weeks later.
It was just one of several regulations announced by Adek regarding the safe return of pupils to classrooms in Abu Dhabi. Adek also stipulated that pupils over the age of 12, teaching staff and employees must undergo Covid-19 tests; classroom sizes are restricted to 15, while pupils must maintain a physical distance of 1.5 metres.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?
If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.
Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.
Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.
Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).
Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal.
Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.
By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.
As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.
Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.
He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.”
This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”
Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.
