UAE Ramadan: Reduced school timings, rules announced

Private schools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah will reduce school hours during the Holy month of Ramadan.

Dubai

Private schools in Dubai will also hold classes for not more than five hours during the Holy Month.

Mohammed Darwish, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Permits and Compliance at Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), said, “Private schools in Dubai can hold classes up to five hours during Ramadan. We've given schools the flexibility of choosing their start and end time in consultation with parents.”

He added, “During Ramadan, the school community, including students, teachers, and parents, will be spending extra time in prayer with their families. We’ve urged institutions to be mindful of homework and assignments for pupils. Every Ramadan, we practice the virtues of patience, togetherness, compassion, and inner strength. And during this Holy Month, we’ll will need to draw on these virtues more than ever.”

Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, private schools would also reduce the length of their school timings to five hours during Ramadan, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has announced.

ADEK said it has sent the schools a set of guidelines regarding Ramadan timings.

“The school cannot start before 9:30am and must end the day before or at 3:30pm,” ADEK said in a statement.

Each school is expected to cover the full content of the core subjects during those hours, and to consult with parents while selecting the appropriate schedule,” it added.

The Ramadan school timings will go into effect immediately after pupils return from spring break, which began on Sunday (March 28) and continues till April 8.

Sharjah

The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) has recently decreed that school timings should not last more than five hours during the Holy Month.

Private schools in Sharjah are expected to reduce a load of homework and examinations during Ramadan in line with the SPEA’s directive.

In Sharjah, classes would start from 9am onwards and held between three and four hours, said Ali Al Hosani, Director, SPEA.

The timings would be decided by taking into account pupils’ grades and their requirements, he added.

The SPEA works in tandem with the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority’s (NCEMA) Sharjah unit, Al Hosani said.

All measures are being taken to ensure the safety of pupils and members of the society amid the Covid-19 outbreak, he added.

Private schools to hold classes up to five hours during Ramadan

School authorities have been urged to reduce homework and assignments for pupils

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi
• Sharjah