Philippine Schools in Middle East Shift to Online Learning Amid Regional Conflict

Philippine Schools Overseas based in the Middle East have faced learning disruptions since regional conflict began in late February 2026. On February 28, Johnny Nastor, a 49-year-old overseas Filipino worker in Bahrain, saw smoke and heard explosions about 10 kilometers from his home as Iran launched retaliatory attacks following U.S. and Israeli actions against it.

Nastor, his wife Rhoda Lyn Nastor and their 13-year-old daughter Juliane stayed indoors as directed by authorities. The family has lived in Bahrain for seven years and this was their first direct experience with such geopolitical tensions. There are around 2.4 million Filipinos in the Middle East, according to Department of Foreign Affairs data.

Thousands of overseas Filipino workers have returned to the Philippines since the conflict started. Disruptions have affected airports, businesses and schools across the Gulf region.

Overseas, which follow the curriculum set by the Department of Education, are concentrated in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. At least 26,000 students from kindergarten to high school were enrolled in these schools in the Middle East for the 2025-2026 school year, according to estimates from the Association of Philippine Schools Overseas.

Juliane Nastor, an incoming Grade 8 student at the Philippine School Bahrain, shifted to online learning after Iranian missile strikes targeted Bahrain. The school followed the host country's directive and continued online instruction through the last quarter until exams ended in April.

Her parents prioritized safety and kept her at home while the conflict continued. In Qatar, teachers at the Philippine School Doha paused online classes when students had to take shelter during missile interceptions or responded to national emergency alerts.

Noemi Formaran, vice principal at the Philippine School Doha and president of the Association of Philippine Schools Overseas, said instruction could not continue amid sounds of attacks.

Parents contacted teachers seeking help for their children. Formaran said her school established a hotline for guidance counseling through teleconference. The Association of Philippine Schools Overseas mobilized counseling partners to supply materials and online training on mental health issues.

Services were extended to school employees, including frequent check-ins for teaching and non-teaching staff. The Al Udeid Air Base near Doha, targeted in Iran's retaliatory attacks, contributed to the unfamiliar sense of danger reported by staff and students.

The transition between online and face-to-face learning has varied by country. In the United Arab Emirates, schools shifted immediately to remote learning and resumed on-site classes by April 20, nearly two weeks after a fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

The Philippine School Dubai extended some lessons from one week to two and added daily safety instruction. Rommel Pelayo, principal of the Philippine School Dubai, said the school is determining which lessons to retain in the remaining weeks before the academic year ends in June and which to defer to the next school year.

Some students continue online learning as parents prioritize safety or have been repatriated. The UAE education ministry ordered remote learning again from May 5 to 8 due to continued tensions. War has also affected the shipping of textbooks to some schools.

Philippine Schools Overseas continue to monitor the situation as they work to address learning losses while placing priority on student safety and well-being. >"What happened because of the war is not the children’s fault. And if we rush the lessons, children will not absorb the right learning competencies.