With Sharjah moving to a four-day workweek from 2022, schools have been given the option to follow one of several models to make up for the loss of an academic day every week.
Along with government departments in Sharjah, schools will remain shut on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from the new year.
This means pupils will lose out on one academic day per week. According to the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), to make up for this, schools can:
1. Increase daily timings
Private schools can increase the length of the school day and modify their study schedules and class duration as they see fit. The number of classes for each subject must not be reduced.
2. Hold online classes after school hours
Schools can hold a maximum of three hours of e-classes per week.
3. Add one extra week to academic year
Schools can add a maximum of seven days to the academic year. This can be done from the flexible holiday week granted to schools or by extending the school year for an additional week before the start of the summer vacation.
Ministry curriculum schools
Private schools that follow the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) curriculum must adhere to the timetable specified by ministry when it comes to assessments and exam dates.
Authorities in Sharjah had earlier announced that the Emirate would transition into a three-day weekend. All other Emirates will adopt a two-and-a-half-day weekend, with Friday half-day, Saturday and Sunday forming the new weekend.
Schools in the six Emirates are required to close by 12 noon so that Muslim students can attend the Friday prayers, which will be hosted after 1.15pm.
Some schools in Dubai will be increasing school days to make up for the loss of the academic half-day. Other schools will revise break timings.
© Khaleej Times
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