Dubai: As the annual school summer break nears, most families in the UAE are still in the dark about when schools will reopen.
For private schools in Dubai, July 5 is the end of the current academic year, according to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai’s education regulator.
Read: UAE School Calendar 2018-2019 (KHDA)
According to the federal Ministry of Education, July 5 is also mentioned as the last day for students.
However, the websites of the KHDA and the ministry do not mention when schools will reopen after the summer break. This makes the situation, at the moment, unclear.
An exception is the schedule for Indian schools in Dubai — the KHDA says the summer break for Indian schools in Dubai begins on July 1 and students return on September 2.
For the rest of the schools, in Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE, there is still no announced date for the resumption of classes, with families finding it problematic to finalise their holiday and travel plans.
On Tuesday, a number of schools in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi told Gulf News they have not received a reopening date from the ministry. A large private school group in the UAE had earlier said it has not received a reopening date for its non-Indian schools in Dubai.
It is understood the reopening dates will be announced soon, according to sources in the education sector, but many families have been unable to book return tickets for their annual holiday, for which they plan well in advance. The long vacation lasts around two months (July and August).
Typically, some schools reopen within the first few days of September, while others reopen around September 10, depending on which curriculum they follow. Schools have some leeway in setting their holiday dates, as long as they fulfil a certain number of school days (around 180 days in one academic year).
Mohammad Omar, a British expat whose child goes to an IB curriculum school in Dubai, said: “I checked with my school and they said they can’t give me a date yet [for when they will reopen]. It leaves you a bit uneasy as you can’t plan your holiday. I suppose I could wait until the situation is clear but that will cost me, as ticket prices will be more the closer you book to the travel date. Summer holiday is the peak season.”
Summer holidays
Indian schools in Dubai: Starting on July 1, school reopening on September 2
Other private schools in Dubai: Starting on July 6, no reopening date
Ministry of Education/other schools in the UAE: Starting on July 6, no reopening date
Exam schedule
Separately, the ministry on Tuesday announced the exam schedule for the third term for public and private schools following the ministry’s curriculum.
Exams for grades one through 12 will be held in two groups — A and B.
The exams start on May 20 and mostly end on June 12. However, the last day for some exams in the higher grades will be on June 27.
Results will be out on July 5.
