In a zoom conference held on July 20, 2020, key figures in the UAE’s nursery sector, called on the government to issue them with guidelines and a timeline for reopening. They stressed that if guidelines are not received very soon, the sector will have no choice but to let the majority of educators and other staff, working in the sector go.
Nurseries were told to close on March 1st, 2020 before schools and other institutions, but to date, they have not been given any information on how and when they can start operating again. Currently, many nursery operators are trying to do right by their educators and other staff members, by paying them a portion of their salaries, however, they are unable to sustain this for much longer.
Members of the panel stressed the importance of the nursery sector in the society and the role it plays in ensuring that parents, especially women, are able to return to work more easily. They pointed out that nurseries are not just childcare facilities, but also institutions of learning, that hire and train qualified education professionals.
The panel is calling on the government to intervene very quickly. It would be a shame to lose the majority of qualified and trained practitioners currently working in the sector.
The zoom panel was moderated by Shaun Robison, Governor, IDEA Nursery. The panel included Diana Zeidan, area director for Odyssey Nursery and Umair Tariq, CEO of Middle East and Africa at Kido Education.
