1.1 million students return as UAE schools begin second term

Dubai: The second term of the 2025–2026 academic year will begin on Monday, January 5, without centralised examinations, as government and private schools following the curriculum of the Ministry of Education welcome around 1.1 million students from kindergarten to Grade 12.

According to the approved academic calendar, the second term will span 69 school days, equivalent to nine weeks. This includes 47 days of classroom instruction, 19 weekly weekend days and three days allocated for the midterm break, ensuring a balance between academic achievement and the wellbeing of students and teaching staff.

Student assessment during the second term is based on key changes introduced by the Ministry of Education at the start of the current academic year to enhance learning outcomes. Centralised end of term examinations for all grades have been cancelled and replaced with school based final assessments.

The move aims to make optimal use of instructional days, diversify and improve student performance assessment tools, enhance student quality of life and further develop learning and teaching methods.

The second term will also see the implementation of new assessment method across the three educational cycles.

For Cycle One students, the second term will account for 30 per cent of the overall assessment, distributed as 20 per cent for graded formative school assessments and 10 per cent for the school based final assessment.

Cycle Two students will also have a 30 per cent weighting for the second term, divided equally between graded formative assessment, project-based learning and the school based final assessment.

For Cycle Three students, the second term will carry a weighting of 20 per cent, split evenly between graded formative assessment and the school based final assessment.

The second term will include specialised training programmes for administrative and teaching staff, scheduled to take place from February 11 to 13. The programmes aim to enhance professional performance, raise the quality of educational practices and keep pace with the latest developments in education.

End of term examinations are scheduled to be held from March 4 to 13, with the spring and Eid Al Fitr holidays for students and academic, administrative and technical staff set to begin on Monday, March 16, 2026, and continue until March 29.

The academic calendar has designated the period from January 7 to 9 for analysing and announcing first term results. This step supports accurate completion of academic requirements and enables diagnostic assessment of student performance to guide supportive educational plans during the new term.

School administrations have focused on restructuring timetables using careful planning approaches to ensure balanced subject distribution while meeting educational requirements and the needs of teaching staff through flexible and structured scheduling mechanisms.

At the same time, schools have strengthened communication with parents through digital platforms and social media, providing guidance to help students return to classrooms with renewed energy and motivation. This has included advance disclosure of weekly plans and school bus schedules, reinforcing effective partnership between schools and families.