UAE mandates Arabic, Islamic education, and social studies in Kindergarten

The Ministry of Education has announced that starting from the academic year 2025–2026, all private schools across the UAE—regardless of the curriculum they follow—will be required to teach Arabic language, Islamic education, and social studies to children in kindergarten. The Ministry outlined four key reasons for this new requirement.

To support this implementation, the Ministry will provide private schools with a full range of learning frameworks, including clear standards and learning outcomes for Arabic, Islamic education, and social studies. These resources will be made available before the start of the 2025–2026 academic year to ensure consistency and quality in execution.

The Ministry stated that it will approve instructional models and methods suitable for early childhood education, along with verified teaching guides aligned with the Ministry’s learning outcomes. These will include assessment methods appropriate for young children’s developmental stages.

The decision also applies to students of determination, with teaching methods to be adapted based on their individual needs and abilities.

In June, the Ministry of Education approved the official guidelines mandating the teaching of Arabic, Islamic education, and social concepts in kindergarten across all private schools in the country. These requirements will take effect starting from the 2025–2026 academic year and apply to all recognized educational curricula. The initiative aims to instill national values in students from an early age, nurturing a generation that is grounded in its national identity, proficient in its native language, and enriched with an understanding of family, community, and national geography.

According to a statement published on its official website, the Ministry said this move aligns with its vision to reinforce national identity by supporting the teaching of Arabic, Islamic education, and social concepts from the foundational stages of education. The aim is to implement specialized educational programs that enhance early skills in reading, writing, and core Emirati values and identity, supporting students in their future academic journeys.

The Ministry added that it will provide the necessary instructional frameworks and clearly defined learning outcomes for all three subjects to private schools ahead of the 2025–2026 academic year, enabling unified implementation and the achievement of the intended educational goals.

It further explained that implementation will begin with advisory school visits starting from the 2025–2026 academic year, while inspection visits—in collaboration with local education authorities—will commence from 2026–2027 to ensure compliance with the guidelines.

According to the published guidelines, Arabic will be taught daily to all students in kindergarten at 200 minutes per week (approximately 40 minutes per day). By the 2027–2028 academic year, this duration will increase to 300 minutes per week (60 minutes per day). Arabic will be taught by qualified early childhood educators, using approved learning resources. Weekly schedules will be updated to reflect Arabic instruction, with appropriate teaching models for both native and non-native speakers.

Islamic education must be taught to all Muslim students in kindergarten at private schools for 90 minutes per week, divided into either three 30-minute sessions or two 45-minute sessions per week.

Social concepts will also be embedded within the kindergarten curriculum, including topics such as family, UAE geography, the local environment, and foundational social principles. These concepts will be delivered in a simplified manner using play-based learning throughout the daily classroom schedule.