Timeframe: Heading back to school in Abu Dhabi in the 1980s

This week, just as they did 31 years ago, schoolchildren across the country made their way back to the classroom

Classes will be co-ed at public schools for Grade 1 starting from September. The Ministry of Education plans to introduce mixed gender classes every following year until Grade 5. Getty

This week, pupils across the country returned to school after months abroad or, perhaps, at local summer camps. In this picture, we see secondary school students in Abu Dhabi gathering before the beginning of classes in October 1987. The image was shot by French photographer Francoise de Mulder.

On Saturday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid tweeted words of encouragement to the country’s schoolchildren, with Dubai’s ruler offering these words: “… from your classrooms our dreams will begin”, and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi saying, “Our goal is no longer to pass only, but to excel and make it to the top.”

While there weren't tweets back in the 1980s, we're sure these schoolchildren were also inspired by their leaders and teachers, and that many are now excelling in their chosen careers.

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