DUBAI 29 August 2018: The Federal Government has launched the ‘Back to School’ policy, which aims to assist parents working for the government to accompany their children to schools and nurseries on their first day of school.
The policy will enable 28,000 fathers and mothers working for the Federal Government to accompany their 90,000 sons and daughters on the first school day. It is also expected to benefit over 4,000 children under the age of five.
The policy has been devised upon the recommendation of the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing and in coordination with the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (FAHR).
It is part of the directives of the wise leadership to assist parents and students and strengthen family cohesion. It also considers the need for children in nurseries and kindergartens to be accompanied by their parents, which will help them adjust to their school environment, said Wam.
The policy will enable ministries and federal authorities to give their employees flexible working hours during the first day of school, by allowing them to start work late or leave early on the same day.
Ohoud bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Happiness and Wellbeing and Director-General of the Prime Minister’s Office, said, “The new policy reflects the efforts of the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing to promote the family social role and achieve balance between social and professional lives as well as its desire to promote wellbeing within the community.
It coordinates with relevant authorities to provide for the needs of students, especially during kindergarten and their first primary school year, be enabling their parents to accompany them at the start of the school year.
New Initiatives
Dr. Abdulrahman Abdul Manan Al Awar, Director-General of FAHR, stated that FAHR is updating the human resources policies and legislation of the Federal Government, and is launching new initiatives that will improve the happiness and well-being of federal employees.
“This new policy, which was recommended by the National Programme for Happiness and Wellbeing, aims to facilitate the lives of employees, both mothers and fathers, and consider the requirements of the new school year. We hope that it will have a positive impact on the children of employees, and will motivate them at the start of their education,” Al Awar said.