New books on curriculum as UAE pupils back to school

DUBAI // It’s back to school for more than 1 million public and private school pupils across the country on Sunday.

The third and final term of the academic year that begins Sunday will wrap up June 22 for students and July 6 for teachers, the Ministry of Education says.

With Ramadan expected to begin May 27, subject to the moon sighting, school days will probably be reduced to about five hours.

In the past, the education regulators have ordered public and private schools to operate from about 8am to 1pm or 9am to 2pm during the holy month, but the Government has yet to announce official Ramadan dates or school hours.

The ministry also announced that the Year 12 final examinations will be from May 30 until June 4 for pupils in the general stream and May 28 to June 4 for those in the advanced group.

End-of-year exams for all other grades will be from June 11 until June 18.

Pupils enrolled in public schools or private schools with the ministry curriculum will be given new social studies and national education textbooks this term.

These books include an autobiography by the Ruler of Sharjah, Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. The book, which will be taught in Years 12, highlights milestones in the Ruler’s life and describes the experiences that shaped his personality.

Pupils will also study Protecting Youth Against Destructive Ideologies, written by Dr Farouq Hamadeh, adviser at the Crown Prince Court, which discusses protecting young people by giving them with a solid intellectual and ethical base of knowledge.

Sustainable Development: the UAE as a Model, and Social Media: From the Tribe to Facebook have also been added to the curriculum.

“This new step aims to prepare new generations on all levels: ethical, intellectual and educational and to instil in them values of good citizenship and positivity, with focus on Emirati traditions and heritage,” the ministry said.

In all, 1.1 million new textbooks will be distributed at the start of this term to 408 state and private schools.

The 2017-2018 academic year will start on September 3 for teachers and September 10 for pupils, the ministry said.