UAE approves mandatory Arabic lessons for kindergarteners in private schools

Kindergartners in all UAE private schools will need to take daily 40-minute Arabic lessons from the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.

Making the announcement, the UAE Ministry of Education said Arabic lessons will add up to 200 minutes per week, and will be increased to 300 minutes per week in the 2027-2028 academic year.

Arabic will be taught by qualified Early Childhood teachers using approved resources and age-appropriate teaching methods, suitable for both native and non-native speakers.

The ministry has also introduced two more subjects to the curriculum - Islamic Studies for Muslim students and social studies. 

Islamic Studies will be taught for 90 minutes per week and delivered as either three sessions of 30 minutes or two sessions of 45 minutes per week, while Social Studies will be through simplified, play-based models conducted both inside and outside the classroom.

The lessons will be for schools in approved curricula.

All schools will be provided with the ministry's instructional frameworks and clear learning outcomes for all three subjects before the start of the academic year.

Regular inspections will also be carried out to check if the guidelines are being followed, the ministry added. 

The move is aimed nurturing a generation that is proud of its national identity and proficient in its mother tongue.