Arabic takes centre stage ahead of new school year

Measures on Arabic, exams and AI announced ahead of new academic year

Pupils are to be assessed on their Arabic speaking ability in government schools. Getty Images

Arabic tests starting from first grade are to be introduced in government schools to gauge pupils’ abilities as part of a nationwide push to preserve the language and encourage its wider use.

A broader goal is to instil Emirati and Arabic cultural values across all walks of life in the UAE, the Ministry of Education said ahead of the new 2025/2026 academic year. Based on the language testing, plans to enhance the curriculum will be made if and when needed.

“The focus this year is on refining students’ abilities and skills, national identity and an increased emphasis on language,” Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, said at a conference at the Zayed Education Complex in Al Warqa on Tuesday. “Abilities in Arabic will be measured from grade one and improvement plans will be implemented if needed.”

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The ministry also introduced new criteria for hiring teachers at government schools, which will measure how well they know Emirati culture and society.

“A new psychometric was added when hiring new teachers,” Ms Al Amiri added. "The goal is to see how well the teachers would fit into the cultural environment of the UAE."

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, speaking about the coming school year at Zayed Education Campus in Al Warqa, Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

Second-term exams cancelled

The ministry also announced the cancellation of second-term exams, shifting towards continuous evaluation that reflects performance throughout the year.

Instead of centralised exams, each school will have the freedom to carry out its own bespoke tests to assess a pupil's performance.

The decision is part of broader reforms designed to enhance critical thinking and analytical skills while moving away from traditional high-pressure testing.

Learning Arabic

Private schools will also instil greater emphasis on Arabic from the 2025/2026 academic term.

In June, the ministry mandated that all private schools teach at least 40 minutes of Arabic lessons daily, totalling 200 minutes a week. By 2027-2028, that number will increase to 300 minutes.

The ministry said Arabic will be taught by qualified early childhood teachers using approved educational resources and age-appropriate teaching methods, suitable for native and non-native speakers.

Under the new policy, Islamic studies will be taught to all Muslim children in kindergarten years for 90 minutes each week, divided into two 45-minute lessons or three each lasting for 30 minutes.

Private schools must also include social studies in kindergarten education, which will focus on concepts of family, UAE geography and environment, social values and wider social studies.

These will be taught through simplified, play-based approaches throughout the daily school programme, inside and outside the classroom.

Mandatory AI classes

Ms Al Amiri also explained how new AI classes will be implemented and what it will focus on depending on the student’s grade.

Announced in May by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the subject is to be introduced across all stages of government education in the UAE.

“The subject will matter on teaching students how to use artificial intelligence in an ethical and responsible way," Ms Al Amiri said.

"In the first and second cycle, there will be one class every two weeks focused on raising awareness towards the benefits and potential harms of AI, while on the third cycle it will be focused on using AI effectively."

The subject will be taught by the same teachers that teach computer science; they were trained specifically to teach AI for this year. Additionally, there will be a specialised committee that makes sure the subject is being taught effectively.

New schools, more teachers

The opening of nine new schools, which will welcome more than 25,000 pupils, was also announced alongside 800 new teachers.

More than 460 schools have been maintained and equipped, 5,500 buses allocated, more than 10 million textbooks printed and 47,000 laptops distributed, the ministry said.

In addition, more than 23,000 educators participated in a specialised training week, totalling around 170 hours across 40 workshops for leaders and teachers, and 20 workshops for support positions.

In the next academic year, the Educational Competency Assessment Project will target more than 12,000 cadres across kindergarten and Cycle 1 levels, and 11,000 cadres across cycles 2 and 3 to define clear career paths and empower staff in line with national education system requirements.