MENA governments continue to promote online learning amid COVID-19 crisis

 At the start of the country’s second academic semester, the Bahamian government announced that more than 146,500 students will be taking their classes completely remotely. According to a statement by the Ministry of Education: ‘the ministry continues to activate and strengthen distance learning, through digital content on the educational portal. This includes hundreds of academic courses, tens of thousands of electronic educational activities and enrichments, and questions and answers from previous final exams. In addition, also being provided are televised classes on 14 YouTube channels, including a channel for students with special needs, as well as hotlines to support students, teachers and parents.’ On a relevant note, in the United Arab Emirates, the Emirate of Sharjah declared fully distance learning for all public and private schools until 28 February 2021. The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) emphasised e-learning will apply to all students, including nursery schools. Additionally, the Emirate of Ajman has also announced a shift to full-time distance learning.