Students in UAE lose too much class time

Researchers say pupils fall behind by at least one day every week and urges extending their education year to meet international standards.

Students in UAE state schools spend far less time in classrooms than those in other countries, a researcher studying the Emirates' school system has found. Longer school terms and higher standards for teachers are among the key recommendations of a report compiled by Mike Helal, a visiting researcher at the Dubai School of Government. Mr Helal said the Ministry of Education must extend the UAE school year so the amount of lesson time meets international standards.

"The amount of time that students in Dubai spend in school is less per day than almost any other country in the world," he said. "Students in Dubai fall at least one entire day behind their counterparts around the world every week, and that is a primary reason behind their lower achievement. They do not have the same access to learning." The Ministry of Education provided Mr Helal with statistics showing state schools have an academic year of 175 days, of which at least 20 are dedicated to testing. The school day in UAE state schools is just five hours with a 30-minute break, for a total of 22.5 hours each week.

The international average is 27 hours a week. Top education systems like those in Singapore and Japan also have longer academic years, about 220 days. The US and Australia average 190 days a year. Mr Helal's research also found that the time allotted in Dubai schools to important subjects such as science and maths is well below international averages. Teachers are required to spend only eight per cent of classroom time on science and 17 per cent on maths.

"Extending the school year is just a matter of legislating for a longer year," Mr Helal said. In the next few weeks, his report would be submitted to the ministry, which controlled the length of the school year, he said. Local authorities such as the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority and the Abu Dhabi Education Council did not "have the ability to implement any reforms in this area", Mr Helal said.

He stressed that while extending the school year would have immediate benefits, proper reform of the country's state school system would require systematic and comprehensive action, beginning with teacher qualifications. The curriculum in state schools needs to change, Mr Helal said, and underqualified teachers need further training. Mr Helal is a 2008 graduate of the University of Melbourne with a master's degree in education. He is working on a doctorate in economics.