53 school days in the second semester

Teachers defy 'time' to finish courses

Governmental school principals reported that the study period (school days) in the second semester does not exceed 53 days, unless the class has official holidays other than the weekend, stressing that the time factor is a major challenge for teachers to complete the academic courses.

The school principals, who preferred not to mention their names, added that the second semester is considered the shortest in the time period between the three semesters, and the distribution of courses on the timetable in the foregoing was appropriate to a large extent, but the current school year witnessed several variables that require an increase in the schedule. Teaching schedule or a reduction in the number of courses to be taught in this semester.

They explained that the Emirates Foundation for School Education commits schools to a number of extra-curricular initiatives, which need additional time to implement, in addition to the visits made by students to major events in the country.

They stated that the new system of weekly holidays affected the time period scheduled for completing the courses and reviews, explaining that the time available did not help them to complete the required courses and review lessons with students, so it required a parallel reduction in the volume of topics to be taught in the second semester to suit With the scheduled schedule.

School principals indicated that adopting end-of-term exams, in the second semester, for 12th graders, requires sufficient time to teach and review with students, because they need every grade in the exams, which determines their academic future.

They pointed out that the short period of time for the second semester prompts teachers to expedite the teaching of subjects, in order to be able to complete them on time.

On the other hand, it was not possible to obtain a response from the Emirates Foundation for School Education about the alternative plans it has set to address the completion of the courses and the achievement of the required educational goals, and whether this is a motive to review the curricula and reduce its subjects.

The Foundation identified, earlier, five steps for designing the school day, focusing on adherence to the academic plan and the weekly hours for each stage, the distribution of materials shares on the new schedule, and the participation of students’ families around the new academic schedule, stressing adherence to the specified number of weekly hours because it is related to the curricula and student learning outcomes. , so that it is 26 hours for kindergarten, 35 hours for the first cycle, and 40 hours for the second and third cycles.

The Foundation clarified, in the “manuals of working hours” in government schools at the state level, according to the decision of the weekend that the government of the UAE recently adopted, that government school students spend four and a half school days, from Monday to Friday, the steps for designing the school schedule.

school table design

The school schedule design plan includes five steps: adherence to the academic plan and the weekly hours for each stage, working to determine the optimal model for implementing the plan, either through classes or hours, and taking all the considerations required for each model. The new school, so that it conforms to the school’s specific model, taking into account the important considerations according to the chosen model, sharing transportation to organize the start and end hours, and working on holding introductory meetings with students’ families about the new academic schedule while preparing the schedule, distributing it and publishing it to the students of the same school.

School principals: The current academic year has witnessed several changes that require an increase in the schedule or a decrease in curricula.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news