School hours will occur on Fridays starting January 9th

The Ministry of Education announced the update of school working hours on Fridays in government schools, in line with the decision issued regarding amending Friday prayer times, with the new school working hours starting from Friday, January 9.

The Ministry explained that the approved working hours in government schools for kindergarten students start at 8:00 am and end at 11:30 am, while the working hours for first year students begin according to two times: either from 7:10 am until 10:30 am, or from 8:00 am until 11:30 am.

She indicated that the working hours for students in the second and third cycles will differ according to the category, as the boys’ working hours start from 7:10 am until 10:30 am, while the girls’ working hours start from 8:00 am until 11:30 am.

The Ministry calls on private schools to take care not to exceed 11:30 a.m. on Fridays, to ensure that students are able to perform their religious duties on time, and to support the continuity of the educational process in accordance with the approved study plans.
The Ministry confirmed that this decision comes out of its commitment to providing a flexible educational environment that takes into account the privacy of Fridays, supports enabling students to practice their religious duties, and enhances family communication, pointing out that religious values ​​​​represent one of the most prominent components of national identity and constitute a fundamental pillar in building the balanced and conscious Emirati student’s personality.

She added that Friday is considered a basic school day during which the approved attendance and dismissal policy is applied without change, noting that the timing adjustment aims to ensure the continuation of the educational process without losing any school time, taking into account the privacy of this day and allowing early dismissal.