UAE: Mandatory Arabic in Private Schools from 2025
- The Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates has approved mandatory guidelines to enhance the teaching of Arabic language, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies in kindergarten classes.
- Starting in the 2025/2026 academic year, these requirements aim to cultivate national values among young children.
- The ministry said the new guidelines for kindergarten education align with its vision to strengthen national identity from an early age.
Starting in the 2025/2026 academic year, the UAE mandates meaningful changes in kindergarten education. All private schools must implement new guidelines to enhance the teaching of the Arabic language, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies.This initiative aims to foster a strong national identity among young children, ensuring they are proficient in Arabic and deeply rooted in UAE values. The Ministry of Education will provide detailed frameworks and learning outcomes. Arabic instruction will be mandatory, starting with 200 minutes per week, increasing to 300 minutes by 2027/2028, delivered by qualified teachers. News Directory 3 brings you the latest on these educational reforms. Regular inspections will ensure compliance. Discover what’s next for the UAE’s kindergarten curriculum.
UAE Schools to Strengthen National Identity through Kindergarten Curriculum
The Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates has approved mandatory guidelines to enhance the teaching of Arabic language, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies in kindergarten classes. The new curriculum will be implemented across all private schools in the UAE, irrespective of their existing educational programs.
Starting in the 2025/2026 academic year, these requirements aim to cultivate national values among young children. The goal is to foster a generation proud of its national identity, proficient in Arabic, and deeply rooted in UAE family, social, and environmental values.
The ministry said the new guidelines for kindergarten education align with its vision to strengthen national identity from an early age. Officials stressed their commitment to developing programs that build children’s reading,writing,and national identity skills,providing a strong foundation for future education.
Private schools will receive detailed instructional frameworks and learning outcomes for all three subjects before the 2025/2026 academic year. The ministry plans advisory visits to schools during the initial rollout.
Regular inspections, in partnership with local educational authorities, will begin in the 2026/2027 academic year to ensure compliance with the new guidelines.
Arabic language instruction will become mandatory for all students, starting with 200 minutes per week (40 minutes daily) in 2025/2026. This will increase to 300 minutes per week (60 minutes daily) by 2027/2028.
Qualified early childhood teachers will deliver Arabic lessons using approved educational resources and age-appropriate methods tailored for both native and non-native speakers.
All Muslim students in kindergarten will receive Islamic Studies instruction for 90 minutes each week. Schools can structure this as either three 30-minute sessions or two 45-minute sessions.
Private schools must also integrate concepts covering family, UAE geography, the UAE environment, social values, and key social topics into kindergarten education. The ministry specified that these concepts should be presented through simplified, play-based learning approaches integrated into daily routines both inside and outside classrooms.
What’s next
The Ministry of Education will continue to monitor the implementation of these guidelines and provide support to private schools to ensure the successful integration of the new curriculum, fostering a stronger sense of national identity among young students in the UAE.