Launched the Back-to-School national campaign
under the theme ‘From Student to Leader’
Adjusted the evaluation weightings for students
in Cycles 2 and 3 to 40% formative assessment
and 60% central assessment
25 schools opened to raise capacity of public
schools
Printed more than10,000,000 copies of textbooks
3.7 million books have been converted into digital
formats, and 10 million copies of printed books
have been produced
34.000 laptop computers will be distributed to fifth
and ninth-grade students.
More than 5,000 school buses ready
Sarah Al Amiri:
The Ministry has developed comprehensive plans to
enhance the school environment, upskill educators
and improve infrastructure
We will continue to focus on empowering teachers
and educational leaders while prioritising student
quality of life, with the aim of elevating the UAE’s
education sector
Mohammed Al Qasim:
A special committee was established in January to
oversee all operations for the academic year
Over 23,000 educators targeted in ‘Specialized
Training Week’ to ensure their readiness for the new
academic year
United Arab Emirates, 20 August 2024: The UAE
Ministry of Education (MoE) has confirmed its
comprehensive preparedness for the 2024-2025 academic
year, reaffirming that public schools are ready to welcome
students back on Monday, August 26, 2024 as a result of
the concerted efforts of all teams at the MoE, that worked
diligently to ensure an ideal and seamless start to the new
academic year.
The announcement was made in a press briefing
organised by the Ministry in collaboration with the UAE
Government Media Office, with the attendance of Her
Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education; His
Excellency Eng. Mohammed Al Qasim, Undersecretary of
the MoE; His Excellency Sulaiman Al Kaabi, Executive
Director of the Students’ Wellbeing Sector; and His
Excellency Dr. Omar Al Dhaheri, Acting Executive Director
of the Corporate Services Sector, along with
representatives from local media.
During the briefing, Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri
emphasised that the MoE put proactive plans in place
prior to the conclusion of the previous academic year.
These comprehensive plans, developed in close
collaboration with relevant entities, were designed to
ensure all preparations were completed well in advance of
the new academic year and focused on enhancing the
school environment, upskilling educators, and improving
infrastructure and support services.
In her address, Her Excellency also announced the
introduction of comprehensive updates to student
assessment policies across all educational levels. These
evidence-based policy updates are grounded in best
practice, and intended to enhance the quality of
educational outcomes, in line with the UAE leadership’s
aspirations. The updates include the assessment policy for
the weightings of the three terms, and the percentages for
formative and central assessments, among other changes.
During the briefing, Her Excellency explained the details of
the weightings for the next academic year, noting that they
will help in develop students’ academic journeys. The
evaluation weightings for students in Cycles 2 and 3 have
been modified as follows: 35% for the first term –since it is
the longest academic term; 30% for the second term; and
35% for the third term. She noted that the weightings have
been adjusted in accordance with the number of school
days and expected outcomes for each term, ensuring a
more balanced and indicative evaluation process for
students.
Her Excellency Al Amiri also mentioned that for students in
Cycles 2 and 3, the Ministry of Education has modified the
percentage of the formative assessment to 40%, while
setting the percentage for the central assessment
conducted at the end of each terms to 60%. These
updates in assessment weightings are based on an
analysis of student results, which revealed the importance
of continuous assessment and measurement of academic
and skill-development outcomes throughout the year,
rather than relying solely on end-of-term central exams.
Her Excellency also explained that the central exam for
Cycle 2 students in the second term has been replaced
with a project-based assessment that focuses on skill
measurement, and helps students put theoretical
knowledge into practice, further enriching their learning
outcomes.
Her Excellency Al Amiri also announced the Ministry has
launched the national back-to-school campaign, titled
‘From Student to Leader.’ This campaign is designed to
foster community-wide involvement in supporting students
and contributing to the development of future leaders. The
campaign focuses on four key pillars: the educational
system, teachers, parents, and students.
His Excellency Eng. Mohammed Al Qasim noted that a
special committee was established in January to oversee
all operations related to the new academic year. A
dedicated team of engineers and specialists supervised
school maintenance operations to ensure the highest
standards of readiness, thus providing a safe and healthy
environment for students and educators. Additionally, 25
schools have been opened, including 12 new schools and
13 reopening after comprehensive maintenance.
He further highlighted that the Ministry’s teams have
successfully completed maintenance operations for 311
schools including buildings, facility upgrades, and quality
control of infrastructure across all public schools. Support
services included the printing of approximately 10 million
textbooks and the conversion of 3,706,000 books have
been converted into digital formats, and 10 million copies
of printed books have been produced – in line with the
Ministry’s efforts to support digital resources in schools.
Additionally, 34,000 laptops will be allocated to students in
Grade 5 and 9.
In collaboration with service providers, the Ministry
conducted thorough maintenance for all school busses
ensuring their adherence to the highest safety standards,
with over 5,000 school buses made available this year.
Furthermore, school transportation routes were optimised
to ensure a smooth and comfortable daily commute for
students.
Student Wellbeing
With a focus on student wellbeing, the MoE is conducting
the largest field survey in the educational sector to date,
with the aim of establishing a strategic framework for
improving student wellbeing. Additionally, a
comprehensive roster of curricular and extracurricular
programmes and activities is being designed, with the
activation of over 30 projects in the upcoming academic
year to boost students, cognitive, cultural and social skills.
The roster will also include a number of programmes and
initiatives designed to create a supportive educational
environment for talented students.
It was also announced that, due to the significant positive
impact of the Freejna School project following its launch
last May, the project will be expanded to include more
schools. Additionally, agreements will be signed with
specialised local partners to further develop the
programme to encompass more sports, scientific and
cultural activities.
