Ministry of Education approves mandatory guidelines for teaching Arabic language, Islamic studies, and social studies
To be implemented from the 2025/2026 academic year, across all private schools in the UAE and all approved curricula
Arabic Language: Arabic language will be taught daily for 200 minutes per week (40 minutes per day). Instruction time will increase to 300 minutes per week (60 minutes per day) by the 2027/2028 academic year.
Islamic Studies: Islamic Studies will be taught to all Muslim students for 90 minutes per week. Instruction may be scheduled as three 30-minute lessons or two 45-minute lessons per week.
Social Studies: Private schools must integrate concepts of family, UAE geography, UAE environment, social values, and wider social studies into the kindergarten curriculum. These will be taught through simplified, play-based approaches throughout the daily school programme, both inside and outside the classroom.
United Arab Emirates - The Ministry of Education has announced the approval of mandatory guidelines for the teaching of Arabic language, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies for the kindergarten stage in private schools across the UAE. These guidelines will be implemented from the 2025/2026 academic year and will apply to all private schools in the UAE, across all approved curricula.
This initiative aims to strengthen the national values of children from an early age, nurturing a generation that is proud of its national identity, proficient in its mother tongue, and well-grounded in the values of family, society, and the geography and environment of the UAE.
This move is aligned with the Ministry's vision of enhancing national identity by supporting the teaching of Arabic, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies from the foundational years. The Ministry is committed to developing and delivering specialised educational programmes that foster children's skills in reading, writing, Emirati values, and national identity from an early age, supporting their educational development in later years.
To ensure consistent and effective implementation, the Ministry will provide private schools with instructional frameworks and clear learning outcomes for all three subject areas before the start of the 2025/2026 academic year.
Implementation of the guidelines will commence in 2025/2026, supported by advisory visits to private schools. In partnership with local educational authorities, the Ministry will also conduct regular inspections starting from the 2026/2027 academic year to verify compliance with the guidelines.
Detailed Guidelines
Arabic language will be taught daily to all students for 200 minutes weekly initially (40 minutes per day), increasing to 300 minutes weekly (60 minutes per day) by 2027/2028. Arabic will be taught by qualified early childhood teachers using approved educational resources and age-appropriate teaching methods, suitable for both native and non-native speakers.
Islamic Studies will be taught to all Muslim students in kindergarten in private schools for 90 minutes per week, delivered as either three sessions of 30 minutes or two sessions of 45 minutes per week.
Private schools must integrate concepts of family, UAE geography, the UAE environment, social values, and key social topics into kindergarten education. These concepts will be presented in a simplified, play-based learning approach that is incorporated into the daily routine, both inside and outside the classroom.
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