Summer vacation is underway across the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but students, parents, and teachers are looking forward to the first day of the new school year in August 2023, reported the National News.
On 7 July, many schools across the country closed their doors for the extended summer break.
For many schools, such as those following the British and American education models, the new academic year, 2023-24, will commence at the end of August.
However, for those following the Indian curriculum, the academic year begins in April, making the summer holiday a mid-year intermission in the 2023-24 school year.
The academic year in the UAE, for both public and private schools, is divided into three terms with winter, spring, and summer breaks. By the government’s mandate, the academic year must span at least 182 days.
After about seven weeks of break, students, parents, and teachers are gearing up for the start of the new term on Monday 28 August.
The term will last for over three months, followed by a winter break in December and a spring break in March. Extra holidays will be observed during the year for key public occasions like Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr, and Eid Al-Adha.
The upcoming academic year’s schedule for schools commencing in August is as follows:
- The first term runs from Monday 28 August to Friday 8 December.
- Winter break is from Monday 11 December 2023 to Monday 1 January 2024, which is a public holiday.
- The second term runs from Tuesday 2 January to Friday 22 March.
- Spring break is set from Monday 25 March to 14 April.
- The final term begins on Monday 15 April and the academic year must not end before 28 June.
While final term dates might vary a bit by school, the mandate of at least 182 school days remains constant.
For Indian curriculum schools, which started the first term of 2023-24 in April, the school year schedule is quite similar. They will return from the summer break on the same day, 28 August, and also have a winter holiday in December. Their school year will conclude in March 2024.
According to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the private school regulator in Dubai, Indian curriculum schools can close anytime in March, provided they have completed the required 182 school days.
