The UAE is enacting significant educational reforms for the 2026-2027 academic year, including the elimination of homework for students in kindergarten through Grade 2 to foster better learning and life balance. This marks a strategic shift towards skill-based education, supported by six implementation pathways under the National Education Charter. Student assessment for Grades 9-12 will adopt a 50:50 model, integrating centralized and school-based tests. The ministry is also re-evaluating digital tool usage, with a focus on traditional learning materials like textbooks and paper for core subjects in Grade 6, based on studies showing improved performance and interpersonal skills. A Project-Based Learning and Assessment (PBLA) model will be introduced for Grade 7 in core subjects across 366 schools. Furthermore, a unified framework for higher education regulations, addressing licensing, academic integrity, and penalties, will be effective from September 12.

The UAE is enacting significant educational reforms for the 2026-2027 academic year, including the elimination of homework for students in kindergarten through Grade 2 to foster better learning and life balance. This marks a strategic shift towards skill-based education, supported by six implementation pathways under the National Education Charter. Student assessment for Grades 9-12 will adopt a 50:50 model, integrating centralized and school-based tests. The ministry is also re-evaluating digital tool usage, with a focus on traditional learning materials like textbooks and paper for core subjects in Grade 6, based on studies showing improved performance and interpersonal skills. A Project-Based Learning and Assessment (PBLA) model will be introduced for Grade 7 in core subjects across 366 schools. Furthermore, a unified framework for higher education regulations, addressing licensing, academic integrity, and penalties, will be effective from September 12.

The UAE is enacting significant educational reforms for the 2026-2027 academic year, including the elimination of homework for students in kindergarten through Grade 2 to foster better learning and life balance. This marks a strategic shift towards skill-based education, supported by six implementation pathways under the National Education Charter. Student assessment for Grades 9-12 will adopt a 50:50 model, integrating centralized and school-based tests. The ministry is also re-evaluating digital tool usage, with a focus on traditional learning materials like textbooks and paper for core subjects in Grade 6, based on studies showing improved performance and interpersonal skills. A Project-Based Learning and Assessment (PBLA) model will be introduced for Grade 7 in core subjects across 366 schools. Furthermore, a unified framework for higher education regulations, addressing licensing, academic integrity, and penalties, will be effective from September 12.

Ahead of the start of the 2026-2027 academic year, the UAE has introduced a slew of measuring including a ban on giving homework for students from kindergarten through grade 2.

Minister of Education Sarah Al Amiri said the decision to remove homework for children from kindergarten to grade 2 is meant to improve the quality of learning and help pupils strike a better balance in their day-to-day routines. She added that this marks a shift away from theoretical learning towards skill-based education, describing six pathways through which the National Education Charter will be implemented across schools.

Other changes include assessing students through a 50:50 test, which will be a combination of centralised tests and school-based tests from Grade 9 to 12 from this academic year.

Use of digital tools

Some students will also be banned from using digital tools for learning certain subjects, the ministry said, aimed at reassessing how digital tools are used in classrooms.

Sarah Al Amiri told Gulf News that a study found that students who did not use digital devices performed better and had more interpersonal relations compared to students who used digital tools in certain subjects. So, the decision is to use only textbooks, notebooks, pen and paper for teaching Arabic, English, Mathematics and Science in Grade 6 this year.

PBLA model

A new Project-Based Learning and Assessment (PBLA) model will be introduced in Grade 7 and will cover English, Arabic, Mathematics and Science. It will be rolled out across 366 public and private schools, targeting more than 129,000 students.

Higher education

Come September 12, a unified framework for higher education regulations for universities, vocational education institutions, training centres and institutes will come into place in the UAE.

Besides administrative measures, the new rules will also cover violations and penalties. The rules cover areas including licensing and accreditation, academic integrity, examination security, advertising and health and safety.

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