UAE confirms new academic year to begin on August 30

The UAE will begin its new academic year on August 30, as per the calendar already approved by the Ministerial Development Council, a senior education official confirmed on Sunday.

Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, added that administrative and teaching staff will resume working on August 23, as per a report by official news agency WAM.

The minister did not confirm whether the distance learning system currently in place will continue to be applied at the start of the academic year.

Read: UAE summer school holidays and reopening dates announced

“Education remains a top priority and national objective, and therefore our leadership has directed to apply the distance education system under the current circumstances so that our students won’t lose track and miss one single day from their academic year,” said the minister.

He attributed the sustainability of the UAE education system and the success of the remote learning process to the forward-thinking policy of the UAE leaders and the commitment of students and their parents.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the UAE announced in March that it would extend the e-learning programme initiated in all educational facilities around the country from March 22 until the end of the academic year in June.

As recently as last week, several private schools operators in Dubai had indicated that they were ready to reopen their campuses in the new academic year.

Read: Private schools in Dubai ready to open campuses in September