Over a million students return to school after winter break

Nearly one million male and female students are heading to their classrooms today (Monday), signalling the start of the second semester of the 2025-2026 academic year in public and private schools that follow the Ministry of Education’s curriculum, amidst comprehensive and integrated readiness for the educational process to proceed efficiently and regularly.

During the second semester, the centralized exams for all levels will be cancelled and will be replaced by school-based summative assessments (SSA), which aim to diversify and improve student performance measurement tools, enhance the quality of student life and develop learning methods and teaching approaches.

According to the Student Assessment Policy Guide, the final school assessment is a graded assessment, designed by teachers in accordance with central standards and instructions approved by the Ministry of Education.

The assessment is applied to all subjects in Group (A) for grades three through twelve during the last two weeks of the second semester in the form of paper or electronic exams with a view to ensuring that students continue to attend until the end of the semester.

As far as the students of the second cycle from grade five through grade eight are concerned, they will be subject during this semester to project-based learning and assessment (PBLA) for all subjects of group (A) except for Islamic education, social studies and moral education.

Its results are calculated within the student’s average academic performance, according to the specified relative weights. The projects are carried out collectively within the class, with each student’s performance being assessed individually, starting from identifying the challenges through to providing and presenting the solutions.

According to the schedule approved by the Ministry of Education, the second semester will last for 10 weeks, ending on March 14, 2026, and will include a mid-semester break from February 11 to 15, while the end-of-semester break and spring break will begin from March 16 to 29.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced a revised schedule for Friday school hours across public schools, effective from Friday, Jan.9, 2026.

The update follows the national decision to adjust Friday prayer and sermon timings to 12:45 PM nationwide, ensuring students and faculty can perform their religious duties while maintaining educational continuity.

The Ministry has also called upon private educational institutions to align their schedules accordingly, stipulating that Friday school hours must not extend beyond 11:30 AM. This measure is intended to provide ample time for students to prepare for the Friday Prayer and to support family cohesion.

Mohammed Nu’man, Staff Reporter

DUBAI: Nearly one million male and female students are heading to their classrooms today (Monday), signalling the start of the second semester of the 2025-2026 academic year in public and private schools that follow the Ministry of Education’s curriculum, amidst comprehensive and integrated readiness for the educational process to proceed efficiently and regularly.

During the second semester, the centralized exams for all levels will be cancelled and will be replaced by school-based summative assessments (SSA), which aim to diversify and improve student performance measurement tools, enhance the quality of student life and develop learning methods and teaching approaches.

According to the Student Assessment Policy Guide, the final school assessment is a graded assessment, designed by teachers in accordance with central standards and instructions approved by the Ministry of Education.

The assessment is applied to all subjects in Group (A) for grades three through twelve during the last two weeks of the second semester in the form of paper or electronic exams with a view to ensuring that students continue to attend until the end of the semester.

As far as the students of the second cycle from grade five through grade eight are concerned, they will be subject during this semester to project-based learning and assessment (PBLA) for all subjects of group (A) except for Islamic education, social studies and moral education.

Its results are calculated within the student’s average academic performance, according to the specified relative weights. The projects are carried out collectively within the class, with each student’s performance being assessed individually, starting from identifying the challenges through to providing and presenting the solutions.

According to the schedule approved by the Ministry of Education, the second semester will last for 10 weeks, ending on March 14, 2026, and will include a mid-semester break from February 11 to 15, while the end-of-semester break and spring break will begin from March 16 to 29.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced a revised schedule for Friday school hours across public schools, effective from Friday, Jan.9, 2026.

The update follows the national decision to adjust Friday prayer and sermon timings to 12:45 PM nationwide, ensuring students and faculty can perform their religious duties while maintaining educational continuity.

The Ministry has also called upon private educational institutions to align their schedules accordingly, stipulating that Friday school hours must not extend beyond 11:30 AM. This measure is intended to provide ample time for students to prepare for the Friday Prayer and to support family cohesion.