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DUBAI: Many Indian schools in the UAE will close for up to two days next week, giving students and teachers a four-day long weekend to celebrate India’s festival of lights, Diwali.
Several CBSE schools in Dubai, such as those under the Indian High School Group, have announced a holiday this coming Monday and Tuesday to celebrate Diwali, a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good and evil.
“For us, this is a great time to celebrate,” said Punit MK Vasu, CEO of the Indian High School Group.
“We have just had the honor of being inspected by the KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) and everyone is looking forward to a wonderful holiday with family and friends after COVID-19 without any restrictions.”
He said students and teachers will also hold Diwali celebrations on campus on Friday. “Everyone is eager to celebrate Diwali in a grand way. We have been away from each other for the past two years. However, my message is to celebrate responsibly, not just Diwali, but every occasion,” he said. added.
Diwali Bazaar
Making rangoli and handing out sweets is part of many school celebrations. Some schools, such as Springdales School in Dubai, even host Diwali bazaars in addition to offering two days off during the festivities.
Zubair Ahmad, chief operating officer of Dubai Springdales School, said the school will organise a “Diwali Extravaganza (bazaar)” on Friday, which will also invite parents to join in the celebrations.
“There is a lot of focus on wellbeing and one of the aspects is understanding the cultural aspect. We also combine activities with students’ entrepreneurial skills. So we ask students to make Diwali-related handicrafts such as diyas [lamps] and murals use their creativity and give it value by selling them to their parents. They were also asked to link the cultures of two countries, India and the UAE, in their work,” he added.
games, gatherings
Michael Guzder, Vice President of Education at GEMS, said GEMS Indian Schools have arranged a day off for Diwali, which this year falls on Monday 24th October.
“Diwali, commonly known as the Festival of Lights, is where family and friends gather to celebrate. With most Indian schools just finishing their first term exams, students and parents will spend the weekend relaxing, enjoying, visiting friends and celebrating the festival together,” he added.
Lalitha Suresh, principal of GEMS Our Own Indian School, said that all Indian families celebrate Diwali with lights, sweets, new clothes, firecrackers, rangolis and more.
“At GEMS Our Own Indian School, we celebrated Diwali the day before when the students wore colourful clothes for a special rally. The girls from the upper classes participated in an indoor rangoli competition with the staff where they painted on the floor Come up with our beautiful designs and fill them with coloured powders. Candy boxes are distributed to all staff and the school usually enjoys two days off to celebrate Diwali with their families. The whole school is as staff exchange homemade sweets and Diwali treats in the staff room The festive atmosphere is evident,” she added.
Dubai is officially celebrating Diwali in the wake of COVID-19, with authorities announcing a series of entertainment, retail promotions, mega raffles, record-breaking shows and fireworks from October 14 to 28.
Holiday in Sharjah Friday to Monday
In Sharjah, schools like Sharjah Indian School prefer to have Diwali holidays on Mondays only, as the emirate already offers a three-day weekend.
“Friday is already a holiday for us,” said Dr Pramod Mahajan, principal of the Indian School in Sharjah.
“Due to the four-day work week policy, our number of working days has been reduced. However, the Sharjah Private Education Authority, with great flexibility and inclusiveness, allows principals to choose five holidays to celebrate based on each school’s student community Community festival. So, we decided to give Diwali this time on Monday,” he said.
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