Schools across the UAE reopened on Monday, January 5, 2026, welcoming around 1.1 million students from kindergarten through Grade 12 for the second term of the 2025–2026 academic year. The term will run for 69 school days. Centralised examinations have been scrapped, with school-based assessments replacing them to diversify evaluation methods and support student performance.
Under the updated academic calendar, students and teachers will also benefit from focused training programmes designed to enhance teaching practices and keep pace with educational advancements. The ministry’s changes put a greater emphasis on continuous assessment, aiming to make the most of instructional days while improving learning outcomes across all grades.
