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'Children are not machines': UAE billionaire reiterates call for shorter school days
The debate around school timings and shorter days has been gaining momentum, as Dubai residents struggle to cope with the increase of traffic
A prominent UAE billionaire has called for shorter school days in the country, saying that the quality of education can not be measured by how many hours the child sits inside the classroom.
The call by Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor, the head of Dubai conglomerate Al Habtoor Group, on Friday, November 14, is not the first time he pointed out to long school schedules. In May, a similar call by him garnered attention and reactions among parents, with some suggesting that the long school hours are draining children’s energy, health, and family life.
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"I said that a student who sits in school from morning until evening will not be more productive—most likely, they will simply be more tired. Still, some disagreed with me, arguing that “the curriculum needs more time.”
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"Sometimes we pile hour upon hour on students and overwhelm them with endless homework, then wonder why they lose enthusiasm, why their focus drops, or why education becomes a burden instead of something they love," he added.
In his tweet, the businessman tagged UAE's Ministry of Education and Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). He previously called on authorities to consider the issue seriously.
"I hope we also review our school hours — not to reduce learning, but to improve its quality, restore life to the student, and bring the smile back to their day," he added in the social media post that had a photo of an empty classroom attached to it.
The Swiss model
This time, Al Habtoor cited the successful educational model in Switzerland, saying that it supports his opinion. He listed how many hours children in the European country spend in class, highlighting the fact that their academic year is divided into short, balanced blocks: 6–8 weeks of classes followed by a one- or two-week break.
Stressing that children's minds need rest to function well, he said such countries believe that "a child is not a machine", and that what matters is how knowledge is delivered and what teaching methods are used.
He then further supported his opinion by saying: "In fact, the men who helped build this blessed nation — ministers, officials, and others — studied in simple schools with short hours. They didn’t have massive curricula or long school days. But they had determination, intelligence, a desire to learn, an early start in working, and a sense of responsibility."
The debate around school timings and shorter days has been gaining momentum, as Dubai residents struggle to cope with the increase of traffic.
Yasmin Hussein
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.
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