UAE billionaire calls for less 'draining' school schedules; parents voice support

Khaleej Times

4 days ago

An online post by a prominent UAE businessman is garnering attention online, sparking conversations among UAE parents about the current school schedule and the draining effect it has on children.
In a tweet, Emirati businessman Khalaf Al Habtoor, Chairman of Al Habtoor Group, wrote, 'Our children are trusted in our care. I see them every morning boarding buses as early as 6am, spending their entire day on the road between school and home. This is too much for students of all ages — especially the little ones. It's too much for a small heart that wants to learn, not suffer.'
His post received an overwhelming response from parents, who expressed their frustration and shared how the current school schedule drains their children's energy from the moment they wake up until bedtime.
Khaleej Times spoke to several Emirati mothers who shared their personal experiences.
Umm Maha, an Emirati mother of an eight-year-old third grader studying at Zayed Al Barsha Complex, said, 'My daughter wakes up at 5.30am. She leaves the house at 6.15am and returns after 2pm. When she gets back, she's exhausted, so I let her nap before she can study again.
'Even with the nap, she wakes up tired and has only about three hours to do her homework and have dinner,' she added.
'Things are slightly better now,' she continued. 'Since September 2024, the school day ends earlier at 1.35pm, so she returns home around 2.30pm instead of 3.30pm.'
Al Habtoor has called on Dubai's education authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education to consider this issue seriously. He suggested that every residential area should have a nearby school or nursery.
However, even when schools are located within residential areas, students still wake up early and return home late, leaving them with little time for activities or studying.
Umm Saif, an Emirati mother living in Al Suyoh, Sharjah, said the school day robs families of quality time together.
'My children are 8, 10, 14, and 15. They all attend the same school — Zayed Al Suyoh Complex — but each returns home at a different time.
'They leave at 6am as boys and girls are separated in different buses. There's no time left to sit as a family as they must review schoolwork. Time passes so quickly. As soon as they finish their homework, it's dinner time, and then they go to bed,' she explained.
She added, 'My kids don't attend school on Fridays. I prefer they rest and regain their energy to attend Friday prayers with full focus.'
UAE-based families are suggesting that the long school hours are draining children's energy, health, and family life. Parents are calling for real solutions, prioritising children's wellbeing and restoring balance between learning and living.
Mona Al Jallaf, an Emirati mother based in Dubai, shared a similar experience.
'My kids wake up at 6am and leave the house by 6.40am to reach school by 7.20am. They finish school at 2.30pm and arrive home around 3.10 pm. By then, they're already exhausted. My youngest daughter, who's in kindergarten, usually falls asleep in the car and doesn't wake up even for lunch. The boys come home tired, with no appetite and no focus to study.'