Schools in the UAE are set for a major shake-up, splitting the 2010/11 year into three terms instead of two as part of plans to raise education standards.
Humaid Al Qattami, Minister of Education, said the Council for Ministerial Services had passed the new plan, news agency WAM reported.
He added that the Minister had been assured that the changes “fits well into the Ministry’s strategy for upgrading the educational sector and achieving stability in the school community”.
Under the new timetable which applies to all government and private schools following the Ministry of Education curriculum, the school year will remain at 180 days.
The Minister said the Curricula Department had set up taskforces to prepare the syllabus in line with the three-semester learning system.
Exams of the end of first semester will start on December 12 and the holiday will begin on December 19 for two weeks.
The second semester will start on January 2 2011. Students will sit for exams on March 20 with the second semester break starting on March 27 2011.
The third semester will begin on April 3 and exams will start on June 19.
Final results will be announced on June 28, with summer holidays beginning on July 14.
Separately, the minister said that the start of the school year will be deferred from September 5 to 12, after Eid celebrations.
