In order to coordinate the school working days, summer and winter holidays as well as semesters followed by institutions of higher education during next academic year, the Ministry of Education has issued an ordinance unifying the academic calendar of the public and private schools for 2012/2013.
The decision taken jointly with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, will also unify the school academic calendar with the semesters and holidays of universities and colleges across the country.
According to the decision issued by Minister of Education Humaid Mohamed Obaid Al Qattami, the administrative, teaching and technical staff at all levels will begin work on 2nd September 2012.
Classes will start on Sunday 9th September for all grades from KG until higher secondary in all public and private schools across the country irrespective of the curricula they follow.
Al Qatami said that coordination between the two ministries emphasised the importance of standardisation of the academic calendar in order to achieve both educational and family stability and comfort.
The first school vacation will start from 16th December 2012 until 3rd January 2013 and the classes will resume on 6th January . The holidays at the end of the second semester will begin on 31st March 2013 and the schools will reopen on 14th April 2013. The summer vacation will start on 7th July 2013 according to the decision.
