Over 1.1 million students return to UAE schools from Aug.26

Mohammed Ibrahim, Staff Reporter

On Monday, 26 August, educational establishments following the Ministry of Education's curriculum, including both public and private schools, as well as kindergartens, will admit all students enrolled in the various academic cycles, with numbers exceeding one million and 100 thousand students. This marks the commencement of the inaugural semester of the 2024-2025 academic year.

While the country's schools welcomed teaching, technical and administrative staff last Monday, approximately 23,000 educational staff participated in the professional development week, which featured 165 training workshops. The total number of training hours amounted to 656, with more than 24,955 teachers attending 220 private schools in Dubai. Their respective educational establishments conveyed gratitude, praise, appreciation and motivation towards them.

The Ministry of Education has engaged the services of new teaching personnel for the forthcoming academic year. This recruitment process has been continuous throughout the year, enabling the Ministry to address shortages and to appoint individuals with the requisite expertise and competencies.

Number of Students

The total number of students enrolled in public schools at the state level for the new academic year is approximately 290,000. All educational establishments and students are required to adhere to a prescribed study plan that will remain in place until the 2025-2026 academic year. This encompasses both public and private schools offering the Ministry of Education curriculum, as well as technical and applied schools, and students enrolled in the integrated continuous education system. The plan was established at the commencement of the 2023-2024 academic year, and any amendments or alterations must be subject to agreed controls and mechanisms.

According to the approved academic calendar, the number of school days in the new academic year for students and bodies of all kinds is 185 days, with 16 weeks in the first semester (78 days), 11 weeks in the second semester (55 days), 11 weeks in the third semester (52 days). The total number of official holidays is 6 days, divided between the first and third semester (3 days each).

The final exams for the first semester will take place between November 27 and December 12, 2024. The results will be issued between January 13 and 17, 2025, with the winter break commencing on December 16 for students and December 23 for all staff. The second semester will commence on January 6, 2025.

The final exams period for the second semester will commence on March 10, 2025 and conclude on March 19, 2025. The results will be announced from April 21, 2025 to April 25, 2025. The spring break will commence on March 24, 2025 for students, on March 31, 2025 for teaching, administrative and technical staff, and the third semester will begin on April 14, 2025.

The academic calendar has set the dates of the final exams in the third semester to take place between June 10-19, 2025. The results of the final exams will be issued between  June 20 and July 2, 2025. The end-of-year holidays will commence on June 30, for students and on July 17, for all relevant authorities.

Friday is an official workday in all emirates, while Saturday and Sunday are weekly holidays, with the exception of the Emirate of Sharjah, which has implemented a three-day weekly holiday system, including Friday.

The inauguration of 25 educational establishments, comprising 12 newly established schools and 13 schools that were undergoing comprehensive maintenance, represents the Ministry's strategy to align with the country's expanding population and meet the increasing demand for public education services.

In collaboration with service providers, the Ministry has conducted comprehensive maintenance on all school buses in accordance with the highest safety and security standards, as set out in the relevant legislation. In the current academic year, the number of school buses has exceeded 5,000. Furthermore, the distribution of school transport routes has been optimised with the objective of ensuring an easy and comfortable daily school journey for students.

The administrations of both public and private schools have confirmed that they are fully prepared to welcome students in the new academic year. This is the result of the collective efforts and ongoing work of those responsible for the educational process in various emirates. These efforts have been guided by comprehensive, systematic, and integrated plans that ensure the highest standards of improvement in the educational environment in schools across the UAE.