Abu dhabi: The Ministry of Education (MoE), in collaboration with the UAE Government Media Office, has announced its full readiness for the academic year 2025-2026, unveiling significant changes to the educational framework, including the removal of centralised tests at the end of the second semester. This announcement was made during a media briefing attended by key educational leaders and media representatives.
According to Emirates News Agency, the briefing featured Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, who outlined the Ministry's proactive plans developed since January to ensure public schools are prepared for the upcoming academic year. These plans encompass improvements in facilities and curricula, with a focus on enhancing the competitiveness of national education. Significant updates to assessment policies were also highlighted, including the replacement of centralised tests with school-based summative assessments in the second semester, while retaining them in the first and third semesters.
Al Amiri also announced the approval of the second phase of the project-based learning and assessment (PBLA) system, now extended to all Cycle 2 students in schools following the MoE curriculum. This expansion follows the success of the initial phase, which involved 127,500 students in 350 schools. Additionally, a new standardised proficiency test will be introduced to evaluate Arabic, English, and mathematics skills for grades 4-11, initially targeting 26,000 students.
Strengthening national identity remains a key focus, with increased teaching time for Arabic language and Islamic education. An Arabic baseline assessment for Grade 1 will be introduced across 100 schools to establish standard linguistic proficiency levels. Al Amiri also announced the operational readiness of 9 new schools, accommodating over 25,000 students and employing more than 800 new teachers. The Ministry has maintained over 460 schools, allocated 5,500 buses, printed more than 10 million textbooks, and distributed 47,000 laptops.
Mohammed Al Qassim, Under-Secretary of MoE, highlighted initiatives to enhance student well-being through the new Physical Education, Sports and Health Programme. This initiative aims to improve school health environments and promote a healthy lifestyle. The Ministry is also restructuring Ta'aleem Councils to enhance parental and educator involvement in educational decision-making.
The MoE's 'From Skill to Leadership' campaign will engage educators, parents, and the community in developing student skills through exploration, development, and excellence. The introduction of a nationally developed AI curriculum, the first of its kind in the UAE, will prepare students to use AI responsibly. Approximately 1,000 teachers will implement this curriculum, providing practical insights into integrating AI into education.
The Ministry is committed to enhancing educator capabilities through advanced training programmes, with more than 23,000 educators having participated in specialised training. The upcoming Educational Competency Assessment Project aims to define career paths for over 23,000 educational cadres across various levels, aligning with national education requirements.