During the Indian festival of Diwali, some schools in the UAE will offer extended weekends to students. However, on-campus celebrations will be muted as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.
According to a circular sent to parents, Gems Our Own Indian School will remain closed on Friday, November 10, and Monday, November 13. This would translate into a four-day weekend for the students.
During the four-day break, families will have time to celebrate Diwali over an extended weekend, according to school principal Lalitha Suresh.
"Diwali celebrations at school will be low-key this year, with activities limited to class assemblies that are educational in nature. All students have been appraised to be aware of the regional situation, and they have been encouraged to donate to the Emirates Red Crescent campaign," she said.
Her reference was to the UAE's 'Tarahum - for Gaza' relief campaign, which helped Palestinians affected by the Gaza war. Thousands of UAE residents have contributed to the drive, helping the ERC send tonnes of life-saving relief materials to Gaza.
There will be no major celebrations this year at an Abu Dhabi-based school.
Abhilasha Singh, principal, Shining Star International, said: "The scale of the catastrophic devastation in Gaza is beyond imagination. The entire world is watching the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding before us. Therefore, we've cut back on all celebrations. This morning, during the morning assembly, I was speaking to my students regarding this (the Gaza crisis). I was telling them that whenever they get this feeling of 'not having enough', they must pause and think of the children in Palestine (the people who lost their lives) and the families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones. I told them they should remind themselves of how lucky they are to be in a peaceful state. The children were listening with rapt attention."
All music and dance activities have been suspended at the school. At this point, we feel guilty about being happy. We are only following the necessary parts of the curriculum. We are collectively praying for peace in the entire region. The humanitarian crisis should end soon."
There is one school in Sharjah that has given the day off for Diwali but has called off all festivities. According to Pramod Mahajan, Principal of Sharjah Indian School, "We will not distribute sweets this year. In fact, the students' council has taken into account (the situation)."
Many UAE schools have set up donation boxes for parents and students to donate food, blankets, tents, soap bars, toothpaste, women's hygiene essentials, diapers, and wet wipes to Gazan civilians.
The celebrations have been suspended.
Gems Education had earlier notified schools that celebratory events would be suspended "until further notice" due to the conflict raging in the region. Affected events included religious celebrations such as Diwali, as well as Christmas events and parties, including winter wonderlands and festive celebrations.
After they understood the reason for the decision, students who initially felt disappointed fully endorsed the school's decision.
Shining Star International student Sri Hari said, "When I first heard that we wouldn't be celebrating events like Diwali, I felt sad.". But when I realised the reason, I didn’t feel bad anymore. I support the school’s decision. We are helping the victims by donating money that we would have spent on these celebrations.”
According to Faisal, a Grade 9 student, our school organization has taken positive steps in response to Gaza's situation. We’ve decided not to celebrate special days this year like Children’s Day, Diwali, and other festivals in solidarity with the victims.”
Gazan civilians are receiving daily-use items from schools. “We believe small actions can make a significant difference,” he added.
“We are all aware of the situation in Gaza. I feel that our decision to not celebrate the special occasions is a positive step that shows our support for the innocent people. Salem, a Grade 9 student, said, "We shouldn't celebrate when many people are dying."