UAE Schools Revamp Schedules for Efficiency

Changing School Times and 45-Minute Classes in UAE State Schools

The Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates has announced the new schedules for state schools for the 2025–2026 academic year. The changes aim to improve the daily operations of schools, optimize student transport, and enhance the quality of teaching. The modifications introduce different starting times and class durations based on students' age and gender, providing new frameworks for public education in the UAE.

Kindergartens: Shorter Days, Focus on Stories and Playful Learning

Kindergarten classes will operate on a four-day system from Monday to Thursday, from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Each day consists of five 45-minute sessions, followed by a 15-minute storytelling session as part of a calm winding down for the day. On Friday, teaching starts at 8:00 AM and ends at 11:45 AM, with four shorter sessions—amounting to 24 sessions a week.

This approach not only aligns with the developmental needs of preschoolers but also allows children to grow in a playful yet structured environment.

Cycle 1 (Grades 1–4): Flexible Scheduling with Two Groups

Elementary students are divided into two groups to ensure smooth school operations and manageable transport logistics.

First group: Classes start at 7:15 AM and end at 1:25 PM with seven sessions per day. On Friday, classes run from 7:15 AM to 10:35 AM with four sessions.

Second group: Teaching begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 2:20 PM with ten sessions per day. On Friday, classes are from 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM with four shorter sessions.

Both groups participate in 32 sessions weekly, each lasting 40 minutes. This flexibility helps schools reduce congestion, particularly during morning and afternoon peak times, when transport and traffic challenges are greatest.

Cycle 2 and 3 (Grades 5–12): Different Start Times for Boys and Girls

For upper primary and high school students, schedules are differentiated by gender to make education and commuting more efficient.

Boys: Classes run from 7:15 AM to 2:15 PM from Monday to Thursday, with eight 45-minute sessions per day. On Friday, classes are held from 7:15 AM to 10:35 AM with four sessions.

Girls: Classes start at 8:00 AM and end at 3:15 PM from Monday to Thursday. On Friday, teaching takes place from 8:00 AM to 11:45 AM, also with four sessions.

The weekly number of classes for both genders is 36, with each session lasting 45 minutes. This arrangement allows schools to avoid overcrowding in corridors, cafeterias, and transportation routes, and also considers age and biological differences to improve learning efficiency.

The Goal: More Disciplined School Environment and Better Learning Experience

The Ministry of Education emphasized that the new schedule aims not only to improve administrative operations but also to strengthen student discipline and support continuous learning. Schools have an obligation to collaborate with transport companies to ensure students can seamlessly travel to and from their institutions. This is particularly important in metropolitan areas like Dubai, where traffic congestion is frequent.

The new schedule helps make the school day not only more structured but calmer as well—reducing morning rush, gate congestion, and the burdens on teachers and staff.

Transport and Scheduling: A New Challenge for Parents

While the new system provides better planning capabilities for schools and authorities, it may pose new logistical challenges for parents. In families where children of different ages attend different cycles, varying start and end times may require rescheduling of daily routines.

However, in the long term, these changes serve students' interests, especially in enhancing the quality of education, developing students' concentration abilities, and enriching the learning experience.

Summary

The UAE education system once again demonstrates its willingness and capacity to adapt to 21st-century challenges. The new schedule is not merely a technical change but a sign of a comprehensive change in perspective. Differentiated start times, the optimization of class durations, and transportation coordination all aim to create a better learning environment for students—whether in the bustling schools of Dubai or educational institutions in smaller emirates.

(The article’s source: UAE’s Ministry of Education announcement.)