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

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.