MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Abu Dhabi has introduced a new distance learning framework that sets clear limits for screen time, restricts homework that adds digital exposure, and requires interactive, activity-based lessons to keep students engaged and healthy.
The framework issued by the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) applies to all private and charter schools, with compliance monitored through daily reports, remote inspections, and ongoing data checks.
The new rules prohibit teachers from speaking uninterrupted for more than 20 minutes in any online session. Schools must build in interaction — whether through questions, polls or activities — at least every 20 minutes.
The policy also caps continuous screen exposure depending on age.
Kindergarteners, for example, cannot spend more than 20 minutes at a time on screens, while older students in Cycle 3 (secondary) are limited to 50-minute sessions, each followed by mandatory breaks.
A daily mid-morning screen-free break of at least 20 minutes is now compulsory across all grades, along with a minimum 30-minute lunch break free from digital activity.
Perhaps most notably, schools are not allowed to assign homework that requires additional screen time — a move that places responsibility for managing digital exposure squarely within school hours.
Learning Hours and Student Wellbeing
The framework sets minimum teaching hours for each age group, gradually increasing from 1.5 hours a day for kindergarten pupils to five hours for older students.
But it is not just academic time that is being measured. Older students must now receive weekly one-to-one check-ins with teachers, while younger students are monitored through periodic wellbeing check-ins.
Crucially, the policy draws a firm boundary between school and home: teachers are responsible for learning, while parents are responsible for the child’s environment, not instruction.
ADEK’s move comes as a response to growing evidence that excessive screen time during remote learning can harm both physical and mental health.
“Excess screen time… produces eye strain, headaches, attentional fatigue, disrupted sleep and — particularly in older students — increased anxiety,” the guidelines note.
Psychiatrists say the structured check-ins embedded in the policy could play a critical role in identifying struggling students early.
Dr Bino Mary Chacko, a specialist psychiatrist at Medeor Hospital in Abu Dhabi, noted that regular one-to-one engagement helps teachers to spot warning signs before they escalate.
These can include reduced participation, missed assignments, emotional withdrawal, or declining performance, she told Aletihad.
Dr Amir Javaid, director of paediatric psychiatry services at Burjeel Medical City, said ADEK’s guidelines help protect youngsters from prolonged screen exposure, which can have deeper cognitive and emotional effects.
When children spend too much time on screens, sustained attention could become difficult, especially in younger students, leading to increased distractibility, he told Aletihad. “Over time, children may also show signs of reduced motivation, heightened anxiety and, in some cases, low mood.”
The policy actively encourages schools to design lessons that move students away from screens. Offline tasks, such as reading physical books, writing by hand, conducting observations, or even cooking and building projects, are now prioritised over digital assignments.
For younger students in Cycle 1, digital homework is effectively eliminated, with schools instructed to assign only paper-based or activity-based tasks that do not require parental supervision of screens.
Psychologists say this blended approach is key to maintaining engagement while protecting wellbeing.
“Outdoor learning sessions, group discussions and simple physical exercises during breaks can make a significant difference,” Dr Chacko said, adding that techniques like the “20-20-20 rule” — looking away every 20 minutes — can reduce eye strain. “Sitting posture should be comfortable, with the screen at eye level to reduce neck strain.”
While schools cannot enforce behaviour at home, they are now required to guide parents on managing screen time outside school hours. Younger children are advised to avoid screens entirely in the two hours before bedtime, while older students need to limit use and keep devices out of bedrooms overnight.
Dr Javaid explained that younger children, particularly in the early primary years, are more susceptible to stress and fatigue from distance learning, as their attention and self-regulation skills are still developing.
Adolescents can also be affected, though for different reasons, such as increased academic pressure, social comparison, and screen dependency.
Dr Javaid added that fatigue often shows up as behavioural changes in younger children, while older students tend to experience emotional distress.