Pupils at a UAE school enjoyed a royal appointment with the Ruler of Dubai on their first day of distance learning. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid offered his support to staff and pupils taking part in digital lessons at Al Majd Model School in Sharjah on Sunday. Pupils all over the country are accessing education from home as part of efforts to combat the spread of coronavirus. A landmark occasion was made all the more memorable by the presence of the special guest. “Today, I virtually attended the first remote school day in the UAE. 1.2 million students joined in from our government schools, private sector schools and our universities,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted. “Our education and learning drive will never stop, no matter the circumstances.” He said the UAE had invested heavily in smart learning in the past decade and Sunday was the moment “we reap the fruit”. “I salute Ms Amal Zaid Nasser and her pupils from Al Majd Model School in Sharjah for hosting me in their virtual class. "The experience is new to everyone and parents have a big role in supporting the success of this new educational phase. “Over the past ten years, we have invested significantly in developing smart education systems and today we are reaping the fruits of our investments. We have smart leaning systems coupled with sophisticated infrastructure. We have Madrasa e-learning platform, which features thousands of scientific lessons ready for all stages."