Students with students in private schools (teaching foreign curricula), to standardize the date of the beginning of the year and the duration of the first semester leave between schools, to be four weeks, as is the case in government schools and private schools that teach the ministerial curriculum, explaining that «the difference in leave between schools with The ministerial curriculum, and the other that adopts foreign curricula, creates confusion for some families that include students studying in both types of schools.
The Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority and the Special Education Authority in Sharjah confirmed that the scheduled leave period came according to the school calendar, which was approved by the Council of Ministers for the current academic year, and the decision granted private schools the authority to extend the leave to four weeks instead of three, provided that they obtain approval Preloaded extension.
In detail, Hana Abdul Rahman (the mother of two students) called for the unification of public and private schools leave, whether the beginning of the school year or the end of the first semester, and others, so that students do not feel the difference with their colleagues, especially since the end date of the academic year is one for everyone, adding that it is better to return To the two-semester system, and between them two weeks of leave, or reduce the length of leave between classes to become three weeks at most for all schools, in the event that the ministry insists on continuing to implement the three-semester system, because this ensures the standardization of academic holidays in all schools, according to different curricula T adopted.
Magda Adel (the mother of a student) stated that she does not know the reason behind reducing the duration of the first semester leave for students of some private schools, and their difference from government schools or private schools that follow the curriculum of the ministry, adding that “some families have children in foreign private schools and others in Arab schools And the difference in the date of the beginning of the academic year and the duration of the leave between the first and second semesters confuses the family and makes it unable to arrange its affairs to travel for the vacation abroad.
Hossam Nour El-Din (student’s father) said that if the Ministry of Education deems that the first semester leave must be four weeks, according to its strategic plan, it is necessary to unify this period in all schools nationwide with different curricula.
He continued, "I think that reducing the vacation between the first and second semesters to two weeks is better than allocating four weeks for this leave, so that students can study at a time when the weather is moderate, and so that the study does not extend to June, amid high temperatures."
A teacher in one of the private schools stressed that «the school is witnessing high rates of absence in the first week after the leave, because many of the students’ families in private schools, which adopt foreign curricula, prefer to spend them outside the state, depending on that the first semester leave is four weeks for students of government schools He added, adding that «the families of some students do not respond to the warning messages about the damages of the absence of their children, and they argue that the long leave between classes extends the duration of the school year, which causes students fatigue.»
He called for looking at the school calendar from all angles in a holistic manner, "especially that the multinational community must take into account the school calendar for students and their families", calling on the Ministry of Education to announce the results achieved by the three-semester system, the rate of success and academic progress achieved, and the desired goals Achieving it from its continued application, in order to respond to the repeated complaints from parents, and to prevent a split in the educational field between approval and refusal to continue its application.
For its part, the Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority, in its response to a question for "Emirates Today", about the reason for determining the first semester leave for students of private schools by three weeks, stated that these schools (which do not teach the curriculum of the ministry) are entitled to extend the leave period after obtaining The approval of the commission.
The Director General of the Special Education Authority in Sharjah, Ali Al Hosani, said, in press statements, that the government schools leave for the first semester is four weeks, while the private schools leave is three weeks, but if any private school wishes to extend the leave to four weeks, It must address the commission to decide on this matter.
Optional week
Dubai Knowledge and Human Development Authority has confirmed that the first semester leave for private school students can be extended to four weeks instead of three.
She added that «this week is optional», explaining that «a number of private schools suspend study at the beginning of the school year for a week, and then the first semester leave is only three weeks, while another number of these schools postpone disruption of study (the disputed week) To the end of the school year ».