The Dubai government has made school start times flexible, taking into consideration the traffic chaos in the Emirates. A statement by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) says schools can seek changes to their timings, with the permission of the regulatory authorities.
However, any decision in this regard should consider the wellbeing of students and parents.
KHDA Director General Aisha Miran has said schools no longer have to follow a single timetable that is currently imposed across the board. She added that they didn’t want to impose a uniform timetable for all schools, as some schools have different needs from others. “Any changes to school timings must be approved by KHDA. We don’t want to dictate a specific timing because different curricula have different needs, and schools also have different needs for ECAs. What we say is, when you want to change school timings, make sure that you are taking into account student well-being,” Miran was quoted by Arabic media.
Miran said families who rely on private cars or school buses should also be able to expect reasonable journey times, rather than having school timings viewed as the sole answer to congestion. “Those who wish to take a private vehicle or bus should have an acceptable commute time. That’s ultimately our intention. Dubai’s urban plan has a target of 20 minutes, so everything should ideally be accessible within that 20-minute timeframe.”
This comes amid complaints of traffic congestion across the city as schools reopened. The first week had seen heavier-than-usual traffic, with many communities having to adjust their lives to ensure their wards reach school on time.
