Fridays off or 4-day week? What Dubai school principals say

As Dubai schools adjust to revised Friday timings to accommodate the 12:45 pm congregational prayers, a key question continues to surface among parents and educators alike: Should schools remain open on Fridays, or would a four-day school week work better?

Feedback gathered by Gulf News from school leaders across Dubai suggests a clear consensus: a shorter, focused Friday is preferable to scrapping the day altogether.

Why schools say Fridays still matter

For many schools, Fridays may be shorter, but they remain academically purposeful. Educators argue that even a three-hour session, when spread across an entire academic year, adds up to substantial learning time.

Leigh Girven, Principal of Greenfield International School in Dubai Investment Park (DIP - 1), said the school has adjusted the structure of the day to respect faith and family life while protecting learning outcomes.

“We recognise the importance of Friday prayer and have therefore adjusted the length and structure of our Friday lessons to allow for an earlier 30-minute end of day. Even a shortened Friday is necessary to effectively deliver the curriculum, maintain learning continuity, prepare students for external examinations, and meet international standards,” she said.

John Bell, Founding Principal of Bloom World Academy in Al Barsha South, echoed this view, noting that his school’s Friday schedule has been rescheduled to 8.30am-11.30am from the usual 9am-4pm timetable.

“While three hours may sound short, when you multiply that time across the school year it becomes a very significant amount of learning. Essentially, we are running the same timetable, just condensed by starting earlier and finishing earlier,” Bell said.

Short Fridays already norm for some schools

For others, revised Friday hours are not new. Credence High School in Al Quoz has been following an early Friday dispersal for the past two years, aligned with the UAE’s four-and-a-half-day working week.

“At Credence High School, there is no change to our Friday schedule,” said CEO-Principal Deepika Thapar Singh. “Our early departure on Fridays has long been built into our academic calendar and operational planning.”

She added that school buses depart at 11.30am, ensuring a smooth and orderly dispersal for students and staff.

Why online learning is not the answer

Some parents have suggested replacing Friday classes with online learning, but schools are firmly opposed to the idea.

Bell described online learning as a “last resort,” stressing that children learn best through direct, face-to-face interaction with teachers.

“Based on many years of experience, children do not learn as effectively online as they do through direct interaction with a teacher in a classroom, so we would not advocate for that. We believe education happens best face to face.”

Would a four-day school week work better?

Regarding the idea of a Monday-to-Thursday school week, school leaders said it posed both practical and wellbeing challenges.

Rebecca Coulter, Principal of Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, said removing Fridays would require longer school days from Monday to Thursday to ensure curriculum coverage.

“A four-day week is not a straightforward alternative. It brings its own challenges for students, staff and parents. The current model strikes a careful balance, honouring cultural and national requirements while protecting teaching time, wellbeing, and educational quality,” she said.

Bell was more direct, calling a four-day school week “an adult-based model”.

“To compensate for lost learning time, students would inevitably face longer school days from Monday to Thursday, combined with increased travel time and traffic. From an educational and wellbeing perspective, that is not a good solution for children,” he said.

Parents largely supportive, but juggling logistics

Schools say parental feedback has been largely positive, though working families have had to make adjustments.

“Parents understand and respect the changes around Friday prayer time,” Bell said. “That said, it does mean some parents, especially those who work, have had to make adjustments to their working day.”

One Dubai-based parent, whose two children attend a British curriculum school, agreed that while Fridays are shorter, keeping schools open still helps.

“As a working parent, having the children in school even for a few hours makes a big difference,” he said. “A full day off would mean arranging childcare or activities every Friday. The current system isn’t perfect, but it’s manageable.”

Girven added that for many families, a shorter Friday is a “welcomed balance” between academic rigour and family needs.

Bell pointed out that having no school on Fridays would also effectively shift responsibility and costs from schools onto families.

“What tends to happen is that parents turn to external clubs or activities, such as sports programmes, to fill the day. This creates an additional financial burden for families, who are effectively paying extra to ensure their children are educated, supervised, or occupied on a Friday.”