ABU DHABI, 20th March, 2023 (WAM) – The Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced that starting from the next academic year 2023-2024, the "Salama Series" Integrated Curriculum Series in Arabic, Culture and Ethics will be optional. This decision was made after a thorough review of the curriculum by teams from the MoE, including recommendations from the National Committee for Reviewing Arabic Language Curricula, which is an academic committee comprising national education institutions.
Schools that follow the MoE curriculum will have the option to teach Arabic Language, Islamic Education, Social Studies, and Moral Education as separate subjects in the first cycle (from first to fourth grade) using the MoE’s curriculum instead of the integrated “Salama Series”.
The integrated curriculum was evaluated by a national academic committee consisting of education experts and specialists from various universities in the UAE, including the United Arab Emirates University, Zayed University, Mohamed bin Zayed University for Humanities, the University of Sharjah, the University of Birmingham Dubai, and the Khalifa Award for Education. The committee conducted a thorough evaluation of the integrated curriculum to ensure that it aligns with the educational community's demands and the UAE's educational strategy while also adhering to international best practices.
The committee met several times over three months, and members discussed the curriculum's guiding principles, delivery mechanisms, and strategies for enhancing it to achieve its objectives. A comprehensive report was submitted to the MoE, which included recommendations for enhancing the curriculum in the medium and long term. This decision is aimed at improving the educational outcomes for students, who serve as the cornerstone of the educational system's development.