Pupils from kindergarten to year 2 at UAE public schools will receive no homework during the new academic year, the Minister of Education, Sarah Al Amiri, announced on Wednesday. In another change, year 6 classes will not use screens during English, Arabic, science and maths lessons. “Children at all public schools, from kindergarten to year four, don’t use any devices in the classroom except when they are learning to use tools for specific lessons. That was already a policy. Now we are looking at middle school,” she said.
The decision followed a study into the effects of screen time on pupils’ cognitive development. Researchers analysed 2,500 pupils across nine public schools to gauge the impact of regulating digital tools, and found that children who did not use screens showed a clear improvement in academic performance across all year groups, particularly in maths, science and Arabic, along with better behaviour, discipline and focus. “Those students who were in device-free classes, their retention nearly doubled, their behaviour overall was better, and interpersonal relationships and friendships formed because of the reduction in screen time,” Al Amiri said.
Scrapping homework for the youngest pupils, she said, is aimed at improving the quality of learning and promoting a healthier balance between school and family life, and should encourage children to read more at home and build skills early. “Last year, we talked about a transformation from an ecosystem that focuses solely on gaining knowledge, to one that builds knowledge and skills at the same time,” she said. Both initiatives currently apply only to public schools.
Other plans for the year include evaluations of all public and private schools licensed by the ministry and a training week for teachers and school leaders. Assessment methods for years 9 to 12 will also change, with central exams and school-based assessments each weighted at 50 per cent, giving schools more agency, after school-based assessments carried 70 per cent last year. New diagnostic, benchmark and baseline tests will let teachers gauge pupils’ levels early and adjust their lesson planning.
Al Amiri said more than 26,700 new pupils had enrolled for the coming year and 11 new education complexes had opened, bringing the total number of pupils in the Emirates’ public schools to 1,277,000. Schools across the country will welcome pupils back to the classroom on August 31.
