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Back-to-school rush: Are UAE parents packing too much into the final weeks of summer?
Educators and experts say children may need more downtime, not more activities, before school resumes
- PUBLISHED: Tue 18 Aug 2026, 6:00 AM UPDATED: Tue 18 Aug 2026, 12:36 PM
As UAE schools prepare to reopen after the long summer break, educators and psychologists are warning parents against turning the final days of the holidays into a last-minute cram session.
Across some families, the countdown to school has become a race to finish holiday homework, catch up on tuition, restart extracurricular activities and reset sleep routines — often while children are still recovering from weeks of travel or a slower summer schedule.
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For working parents preparing to return to their own routines, the pressure can be even greater. Reading, revision, tuition assignments and missed sports or music practice can quickly pile up, leaving little time for children to simply rest before school begins.
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Experts say that may be counterproductive: a child who returns to school rested and emotionally ready could be better prepared for the demands of the new academic year than one who spends the final days of summer trying to complete an overloaded checklist.
Khaleej Times spoke to parents, school leaders and psychologists about the back-to-school rush and how much preparation is actually enough.
‘Lot to squeeze into these last few days’
For Moldovan mother Elena Rusu, whose son is in Year 6 at a Dubai school, the return from a month-long holiday has brought a familiar back-to-school dilemma: unfinished work and very little time.
Her son barely touched his tuition homework before the family left, and now needs to catch up — just as Rusu prepares to return to work. English grammar, in particular, requires her help, adding to the pressure.
“I know I’m going to be pressed for time once work starts again,” she said.
The academic catch-up is only part of the equation. Her son’s early-morning tennis classes are resuming, while guitar lessons begin next week.
“He’s also realised he hasn’t practised much over the summer, while a lot of the homework from his tuition teacher is still unfinished. Suddenly, there’s a lot to squeeze into these last few days before school starts.”
Indian expat Neha Bhagwat is facing a similar balancing act with her older child, who is in Grade 10. For her, the final weeks are particularly important because her son is entering the senior years of school.
“Last few weeks before school begins are always a challenge because there is so much to get done,” she said. “My older one is in Grade 10, and he has quite a bit of reading and revision to complete, along with his holiday homework.”
But Bhagwat is also conscious that children need a break. Even when work is not compulsory, she believes the senior school years make it important for her son to stay engaged academically.
“At the same time, we’re trying to make sure he gets some downtime before the routine starts again,” she said.
That tension — between making productive use of the final days and allowing children to genuinely switch off — is familiar to many parents.
‘Learning will come’: Schools urge families to slow down
Natalia Svetenok, Principal of Woodlem British School, Ajman, said parents should resist turning the final days of summer into an extension of the classroom.
“We know that a busy holiday is not always a restful one,” she said. “Children sometimes return carrying tiredness into the classroom: shorter attention, lower patience, less curiosity.”
Her advice is to focus on restoring the basics rather than adding more academic pressure.
“In the final weeks, parents do not need to turn home into school. Reset sleep, restore routine, read together, talk, move, laugh, and leave some space for boredom.”
Alan Cocker, Principal of The British International School Abu Dhabi, similarly urged parents to view the summer break as valuable in its own right. Holidays give children opportunities to spend time with family, explore, try new experiences and develop independence and curiosity.
“The final weeks of the summer holidays should still be enjoyed,” he said. “There is no need to rush children back into ‘school mode’ overnight or fill every day with preparation.”
Instead, Cocker recommends a gradual transition — bringing back earlier bedtimes and wake-up times, regular meals and family routines.
“These small adjustments help children arrive at school feeling rested, confident, and ready to embrace the opportunities ahead,” he said.
For parents worried about a disrupted summer routine, there is also some reassurance: children are generally adaptable, and a few weeks of later nights or less structure do not necessarily mean they will struggle once school begins.
Cocker said parents can also help by keeping conversations about school positive, particularly for children entering a new school or educational phase.
“Children often borrow our confidence, so when the adults around them are calm, optimistic, and excited, they are much more likely to feel the same.”
Doctors say avoid hyper-academic drilling
For Dr Alexandre Machado, Senior Clinical Neuropsychologist and Advanced Neuromodulation Specialist at Medcare Royal Speciality Hospital, however, the issue goes beyond scheduling.
He said cramming tutoring, camps and catch-up work into the final weeks can sometimes reflect parental anxiety rather than a child's actual academic needs.
“Cramming the final weeks of summer with intense tutoring, camps, and catch-up work is rarely about the child’s actual academic needs,” he said. “Instead, it is a symptom of modern parental anxiety.”
Machado said the priority should be building responsibility, discipline and the ability to manage frustration — rather than trying to compensate for every unfinished task through an increasingly packed schedule.
“The objective must never be hyper-academic drilling, but rather fostering responsibility with tolerance for frustration, teaching discipline, and demonstrating the benefits of consistency.”
He also cautioned against a familiar end-of-summer cycle in which parents allow children extensive screen time during the holidays and then attempt to compensate by suddenly bringing in tutors, camps and specialists.
“A major contradiction arises when parents permit free, unrestricted access to iPads and smartphones for hours on end throughout the summer... only to panic at the end of August,” he said.
His message to parents is to focus on what happens at home every day, rather than expecting external activities to solve every challenge.
“Parents must understand a fundamental truth: the vast majority of the work and the most crucial parenting tasks must be done by them.”
