Public, Private Schools Diverge over Holidays, ADEC

Abu Dhabi students – in the public sector – get ready for a month long Winter break in 2018 according to new dates released by the Abu Dhabi Education Authority.

There was confusion across Abu Dhabi today, after the Abu Dhabi Education Authority (ADEC) released the public school calendar for the 2017/18 academic year.

Various publications and many parents assumed the new calendar also included Abu Dhabi’s private schools.

However, WhichSchoolAdvisor.com has learned this is not the case.

Abu Dhabi’s private schools will not receive the four week winter break, instead students will finish the first term on 17 December and resume lessons on 7th January, as per the KHDA calendar.

The first term will commence on Sunday 10th September for students and Sunday 3rd September for teachers.

Schools will close for the spring break on Friday 23rd March and open again on Sunday 8th April.

The final term will end on Thursday 5th July for students and teachers in private schools WILL NOT be expected to work through to 21st July, as stated by ADEC.

Only public school teachers will remain until 21 July.

The school year will comprise of 180 days in total.

Despite moves towards a unified school calendar, different emirates continue to have slightly different dates for school holidays. According to Dubai’s education regulator, the KHDA, Dubai schools will commence the summer holidays on 28th June 2018.