Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has wished the country’s school pupils well ahead of the first day of the new academic year on Monday..
He said new beginnings “carry optimism, goodness, and hope” while noting that the start of the new academic year “brings energy and momentum”.
“We say to our children: Every school day is an opportunity to learn something new, and achieve a different accomplishment, and elevate your minds and aspirations, and get closer to your goals,” he wrote on X.
“And we say to the teachers: You are the pillar of our renaissance, and the makers of change in our schools. We do not want education that merely fills students with knowledge but education that ignites in them the curiosity for knowledge, and kindles the flame of ambition, and fuels the fire of passion.”
He added that he wishes “for all students, teachers, and the educational field for a more beautiful, greater, and better academic year”.
The first day of the academic calendar tends to be the busiest day for traffic on the roads, so much so that police have an annual Accident-Free Day campaign to encourage drivers to be vigilant as more than a million pupils prepare to return to classrooms.
Dubai Police will almost double the scale of their operations from last year for the first day of the school term.
The force is stepping up its presence to ease traffic at 71 schools in the emirate, up from 36 in 2024.
For kindergarten, school hours from Monday to Thursday will run from 8am to 1pm, with the day ending at 11.45am on Friday.
For pupils in Years 1 to 4, there will be two options: either from 7.15am to 1.25pm or from 8am to 2.20pm, with shorter hours on Friday ending at 10.35am or 11.45am.
For pupils in Years 5 to 12, boys will attend from 7.15am to 2.15pm from Monday to Thursday, ending at 10.35am on Fridays, while girls will attend from 8am to 3.15pm, ending at 11.45am on Fridays.
