UAE schools to integrate cybersecurity into curriculum from 2025

Dubai: The Ministry of Education will integrate cybersecurity concepts into the national curriculum for students from Grade 1 through Grade 12 starting in the 2025–26 academic year, as part of a sweeping effort to equip young people with the skills to navigate an increasingly digital world safely.

The initiative introduces specialized teaching guides in English that address digital safety and cybersecurity, aiming to create a secure educational environment in step with the country’s rapid technological transformation. 

The materials offer both theoretical and practical foundations to help students use the internet and modern technology responsibly, aligning with the UAE’s vision of building a digitally resilient society.

Content is tailored to each stage of schooling. In Grade 1, pupils learn the basics of staying safe online. By Grades 2 and 3, they explore the idea of the “digital world” and what the internet is. Fourth graders take part in a STREAM project, which trains them in digital self-protection through interactive exercises.

In the middle years (Grades 5–8), lessons delve deeper into online safety, cybersecurity and protective measures, presented in ways that match students’ growing capacity for critical thinking. The aim, educators said, is to strengthen their ability to recognize safe behavior and identify common digital risks.

High school students (Grades 9–12) will study networks and the internet before moving to more advanced topics. In Grade 12, a dedicated “Cybersecurity” guide will prepare them for further study or careers in related fields, raising their awareness of digital threats and their readiness to address them.

The program is part of the ministry’s strategy to embed 21st-century skills into the education system, with cybersecurity treated as a core competency in an era of accelerated digital transformation and widespread use of smart devices in classrooms.

Education experts welcomed the move, saying it would bolster students’ resilience against online threats and prepare them to engage with technology safely and effectively. They also stressed the need for cooperation between schools and families to reinforce these concepts both in and out of the classroom.