Authorities order that school hours not to exceed five hours.
According to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), school hours in Dubai during Ramadan shall not go over five hours. This announcement was made on Wednesday.
"As the holy month of Ramadan approaches, KHDA has set a number of guidelines for Dubai private schools to consider when determining working hours,"
stated Shamma Al Mansouri, Director of Permits, KHDA.
"The primary directive is that schools must finish by 12pm on Fridays and that the length of the school day should not exceed five hours."
"We come together to observe the virtues of compassion, patience, and perseverance, and we wish the education community a blessed holy month,"
she continued.
The nation's holy month is predicted to begin on March 12; however, due to regional moon sightings, exact dates may differ significantly.
Most schools would confer with parents in the meantime to ascertain the precise dates before submitting it to the KHDA.
Certain schools operate from 7.45 a.m. to 12.45 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and observe regular school hours on Fridays.
Schools will soon decide on start and end times
The management of Dubai's private schools has also been instructed by the education regulator to decide when to begin and terminate.
The school hours will be adjusted to accommodate parents and the school, particularly when the institutions prepare for the holy month.
The objective of this program is to prioritize the well-being of pupils and establish ideal learning environments for private school students during the auspicious month.
Director of Permits at KHDA Shamma Al Mansouri stated:
"Since the holy month of Ramadan draws near, KHDA has established certain criteria for Dubai private schools to take into account when deciding on working hours, the most important of which is that the length of the school day should not exceed five hours, and schools must finish by 12pm on Fridays.
"We come together to observe the virtues of compassion, patience, and perseverance, and we wish the education community a blessed holy month,"
she continued.
Establishing spiritual principles
All enrolled pupils are to be made aware of the importance of the Holy Month, with an emphasis on imparting spiritual values related to Ramadan.
It's important to remember that internal exams for the majority of UAE schools would have likely concluded before Ramadan began.
Head teachers reaffirmed that they work hard to keep tests low-stakes and minimal during this time so that students may spend more time with their families and praying than cramming.
"We always aim to keep assessments to a minimum during Ramadan, as we want to support students to have as much time as possible for family and prayer during the Ramadan period, rather than revising,"
stated Helen Hurford, vice principal of GEMS Wellington Academy - Silicon Oasis, earlier.
"But in those situations where eliminating an in-class assessment would be harmful to student learning and advancement, we permit the assessment to proceed, but only low-stakes with a shorter duration and a focus on particular topics,"
she continued. To make sure that students are not anxious, all in-class evaluations are called "Checks for Understanding."
Overlap of school holidays
Ramadan will fall inside the roughly ten days of spring break for the majority of foreign educational schools.
Three weeks prior to the start of the new school year, Indian curriculum schools observe the start of Ramadan. Because of this, most students take a short break after their yearly exams, which fall during the month of Lent and come before the start of the new school year.
"This year, the academic calendar coincides well with Ramadan, allowing students to better manage their spiritual and cultural commitments,"
stated Sangita Chima, principal of Amity School Dubai. They get more time for introspection and rest during the end-of-session break. As a result, when they advance to the next grade, our pupils return to their studies with fresh focus and enthusiasm.
"At our school, we promote religious and cultural understanding by offering a variety of spiritual learning opportunities,"
she continued.
News Source: Khaleej Times
