UAE school year starts Monday, how many teaching days and holidays are there?

Dubai: Pupils return to classrooms across the UAE on Monday for the start of the 2026-27 academic year, beginning a 37-week calendar that includes 185 teaching days and a series of assessments starting within the first weeks of term.

The calendar applies to public schools and private schools following the Ministry of Education curriculum. The school year begins on Aug. 31, 2026, and will end for pupils on July 2, 2027, according to the ministry’s approved academic calendar. 

The first term will run for 13 weeks and include 67 teaching days. The second and third terms will each span 12 weeks, with 60 and 58 teaching days respectively, bringing the total to 185 days over the year. 

Assessments will begin soon after pupils return. The Arabic Baseline Assessment, or ABA, is scheduled from Sept. 7 to Oct. 2, while diagnostic examinations will run from Sept. 7 to 18. The Standardised Proficiency Assessment, or SPA, is scheduled from Oct. 5 to 30. 

Pupils will then have a mid-term break from Oct. 12 to 16. Administrative and teaching staff will take part in specialised training from Oct. 12 to 14 before beginning their own two-day break on Oct. 15 and 16. 

Testing will intensify in November. Mock exams are scheduled from Nov. 18 to 20, followed by the first round of end-of-term examinations from Nov. 25 to 27. After the National Day holiday from Dec. 2 to 4, exams will resume from Dec. 7 to 11. 

The winter break for pupils begins on Dec. 14 and runs through Jan. 1, while make-up examinations for the first term will be held from Dec. 14 to 18. Teachers and administrative staff begin their winter break on Dec. 21. 

Second term begins in January

Pupils and school staff will return for the second term on Jan. 4, 2027, with first-term results scheduled to be released between Jan. 6 and 8.

The second term includes an Eid Al Fitr break from March 8 to 12, followed by school-based final assessments from March 22 to April 2.

Spring break will run from April 5 to 9, with pupils and staff returning on April 12 for the start of the third and final term. The ministry’s published calendar confirms April 12 as the return date after the spring break. 

TIMSS and final exams

The final term will include several major assessment periods. The main TIMSS 2027 study, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, is scheduled from April 19 to May 14, while the Standardised Proficiency Assessment will run from May 3 to June 11, according to the timetable reported on Sunday. 

Mock examinations are scheduled from June 14 to 18, followed by end-of-year exams from June 21 to 30.

The last day of the academic year for pupils will be July 2, 2027. Make-up examinations will run from July 1 to 6, with end-of-year results scheduled to be announced from July 7 to 9. 

Specialised training for teachers and administrative staff is spread across four periods during the academic year, beginning with the preparatory week before pupils return and continuing with further sessions in October, December and July.

The calendar is part of a three-year academic schedule announced by the Ministry of Education earlier this year, covering the school years through 2028-29 and intended to give families and schools greater certainty over term dates, holidays and teaching periods.