The Ministry of Education has officially eliminated homework requirements for students ranging from kindergarten through second grade. Minister Sarah Al Amiri announced the policy shift during a media briefing on Wednesday, noting that the move is part of a broader initiative to reorganize how technology is integrated into the classroom. The goal is to ensure that digital tools are deployed more effectively to provide tangible benefits for both educators and students.
“We do not lack technology, and we want to use it more intelligently and in places where it achieves real value for the student and the teacher,” Al Amiri stated. To support this, the ministry is developing a comprehensive policy to regulate the use of electronic devices throughout the academic year. Furthermore, the ministry plans to conduct a full evaluation of all public schools to pinpoint specific strengths and areas requiring additional support. Al Amiri emphasized that educational reform is a gradual, deliberate process rather than the result of a single decision.
As the new academic year approaches, the UAE is preparing to welcome over 1.277 million students across more than 1,180 public and private institutions. The public sector is expanding with the opening of 11 new educational complexes and is set to accommodate more than 26,700 new students. To ensure operational readiness, the ministry has prepared over 5,810 school buses, distributed more than 8 million textbooks, and launched over 80 training programs for teaching staff.
The ministry is also prioritizing the Arabic language, which Al Amiri described as an “educational priority.” The second phase of a fundamental Arabic language project will be expanded this year to further consolidate the language within school curricula. Additionally, the ministry is shifting its approach to student assessment. Al Amiri explained that the focus is on creating accurate mechanisms to establish baselines through diagnostic testing rather than increasing the volume of exams.
Recognizing that students possess varying academic needs, the ministry aims to provide early support for those who require it while simultaneously offering advanced opportunities for high-achieving pupils. Al Amiri concluded by stressing that the ministry seeks impactful measurement tools that empower teachers to make informed, effective decisions regarding student learning progress. The report also notes that aiming to identify strengths, improvement priorities, and the type of support each school needs, Al Amiri stated, emphasising that educational development does not, moE will also work on evaluating 100% of public schools.