The Ministry of Education announces the approved academic calendar for the next three academic years

The Ministry of Education announced the approved academic calendar for the next three academic years (2026–2027) (2027–2028) (2028–2029), for public and private schools, which contributes to the stability of the educational system in the country, and supports early planning at the level of students, parents, and the educational field.

The adoption of the academic calendar comes within the framework of the Ministry’s keenness to establish a sustainable and stable educational system that balances the number of school days and the quality of the educational process, and takes into account the educational and social aspects, which reflects positively on the quality of educational outcomes.

In detail, the Ministry explained that according to the approved calendar, the 2026-2027 academic year for students begins on August 31, 2026, while the mid-term vacation for students will be between October 12-18, 2026, with studies resuming on October 19, 2026. Winter vacation for students begins on December 14, 2026 and ends on January 3, 2027, with studies resuming on the 4th. January 2027. Spring break for students begins from April 5 to April 11, 2027, and studies will resume on April 12, 2027, while July 2, 2027 will be the last day of the academic year.

The 2027-2028 academic year begins on August 30, 2027, so that the mid-term vacation for students will be from October 11 to 17, 2027, with studies resuming on October 18, 2027. Winter vacation for students begins on December 13, 2027, until January 2, 2028, with studies resuming on January 3, 2028. Spring vacation for students begins on March 27 until April 2, 2028, with studies resuming on April 3, 2028. The academic year concludes on June 30, 2028.

As for the 2028-2029 academic year, it begins on August 28, 2028, with the mid-semester vacation for students taking place between October 16 and 22, 2028, with studies resuming on October 23, 2028. The winter vacation for students begins from December 11, 2028 until January 1, 2029, with studies resuming on January 2, 2029, while spring vacation will be For students between March 26 and April 1, 2029, with studies resuming on April 2, 2029, with June 29, 2029 being the last day of school for students.

The Ministry stressed the need for all schools in the country to adhere to the mid-semester vacation in accordance with the period specified in the approved academic calendar, while giving local educational authorities the flexibility to grant exceptions to their affiliated private schools (that do not follow the Ministry of Education curriculum) in the event that they wish to divide the vacation over the months of October and February, provided that the total duration of the vacation does not exceed five school days, according to their operational needs, with the exception of private schools affiliated with the Emirate of Sharjah, in line with the regulatory specificity approved in the emirate.

The Ministry noted the need for all schools to adhere to the approved calendar, including conducting final evaluations or completing curriculum requirements during the last week of each semester, to ensure students’ regularity until the last day of school, with the exception of classes that are subject to international tests held on pre-specified dates. The Ministry also clarified that the new academic calendar does not include private schools with a different academic calendar, such as private schools that implement the Indian, Bengali, and Pakistani curriculum and the like.

The Ministry indicated that adopting an academic calendar for three consecutive years enhances the readiness of the educational field, supports the efficiency of resource management, and allows schools to plan early for academic programs and accompanying activities, in line with the Ministry’s directions in establishing the school as a pivotal station in building future generations.