Abu Dhabi announces new mandatory Arabic rules for kindergarten pupils
Abu Dhabi has introduced new rules for mandatory Arabic lessons for pupils starting in the next academic year.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) announced a new policy that will bring Arabic into every private and charter kindergarten across the emirate, starting from Pre-KG to KG2, beginning after summer in 2025.
The move aims to nurture language, identity, and belonging from the very first years of learning.
Abu Dhabi Arabic lessons
Under the new ADEK School KG Arabic Curriculum Policy, all young learners will receive 240 minutes per week of structured, age-appropriate Arabic instruction.
This will increase to 300 minutes per week beginning in the 2026/27 academic year.
The new policy ensures that every child, whether a native speaker or learning Arabic for the first time, receives consistent, high-quality instruction during the most critical phase of language development and has the opportunity to grow up confident in the language that connects them to their culture, community, and future.
This initiative is timely as research confirms that young children learn languages most effectively and Arabic represents more than a subject, it is a connection to identity, values and heritage.
ADEK's recent survey showed that while Arabic is widely spoken at home, many children still struggle to use it confidently. This policy bridges that gap with schools and families working together to keep Arabic alive and thriving.
Learning will be engaging, built around play, storytelling, songs, and exploration. The policy outlines two tracks:
One designed to deepen mother tongue skills for native Arabic speakers
Another tailored for non-native speakers and newcomers
This will ensure that each child is supported at their level, whether native speaker or beginner. And with specially trained teachers, modern materials, and exciting classroom activities, Arabic will become a language students look forward to using every day.
Mariam Al Hallami, Executive Director Early Education, said: 'This is about more than just adding Arabic lessons. It's about giving every child in Abu Dhabi the gift of language, identity, and connection starting from day one. We want Arabic to feel natural, interactive and alive in every classroom and every home.'
This new policy bridges the gap between Arabic learning in nurseries, implemented through ADEK's Early Education Institutions (EEI) policies, and the start of mandatory Arabic instruction in Cycle 1 in line with Ministry of Education requirements, supporting steady language development during the early years.
Parents are also a big part of the journey. Schools will share tools and updates, so families can join in the fun, whether practicing new words at home, reading stories together, or taking part in Arabic-themed school events.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
'A positive step': School principals, parents hail new Abu Dhabi policy of teaching Arabic in nurseries
From recruiting Emirati teachers to lead Arabic teaching sessions to incorporating interactive storytelling and fun learning activities, schools are preparing to support a new policy that mandates all private schools to teach Arabic in their kindergartens and nurseries. Announced on Monday by Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), the new policy mandates that kindergartens in private and educational partnership schools allocate 240 minutes (four hours) per week for Arabic instruction. It applies to all early childhood education levels, from nursery (pre-KG) to second kindergarten (KG2). The weekly Arabic instruction time is set to increase to 300 minutes (five hours) starting in the 2026–2027 academic year. While schools say they have already begun preparing and training staff to meet this requirement, parents believe the measure will help children develop Arabic communication skills from an early age. Several school principals reported that they had already introduced Arabic phonics and letter recognition in kindergarten in previous years, anticipating the challenges students often face when encountering Arabic for the first time in Grade 1. Others praised the initiative as a positive step towards multilingual development, aligning with the UAE's cultural identity. According to Adek, the policy aims to ensure that every child, whether a native Arabic speaker or a beginner in learning the language, receives consistent, high-quality instruction during this critical stage of language development. Despite the challenges schools may face in teaching non-native speakers, several have already planned to implement the policy in the upcoming academic year. Schools welcome the initiative K George Mathew, Principal/CEO, GEMS United Indian School – Abu Dhabi, welcomed the decision, praising its role in enhancing multilingual education and cultural appreciation among young learners. 'As an Indian curriculum institution with a strong trilingual education policy (Hindi/ Malayalam, English, French), we warmly welcome the decision to introduce Arabic in kindergarten,' he said. Mathew emphasised that early language exposure promotes cognitive flexibility, cultural understanding, and social development. 'To ensure a seamless and engaging integration of Arabic, we propose a learning-by-play approach, using interactive storytelling, songs, movement activities, and immersive play. These methods align perfectly with the developmental needs of kindergarten students, creating a fun and natural learning experience.' 'Our faculty members look forward to designing Arabic learning modules that complement our existing curriculum, turning language learning into an adventure rather than an academic task. We are committed to working closely with educational authorities to implement best practices and ensure children build a solid foundation in Arabic that sparks curiosity and enthusiasm,' he added. Parents support early Arabic education Parents have also expressed enthusiasm and a willingness to support their children's Arabic learning at a young age. Among them is Rawda Musabah who said the decision is important and that Arabic should be the foundation at the start of a child's education, noting that English can be learned more easily later. 'Today, we see a focus on English, which makes children always speak it and prefer it over Arabic,' she said. She added, 'It's okay, and there won't be any difficulties if it's during school hours. However, if it's added as extra time, it could be tiring for students, as their day is already long.' Fatima Abdullah, an Emirati parent, described the decision as a good one that would strengthen children's command of the Arabic language and teach them proper usage from the start. 'Our children need to learn Arabic from a young age. If they don't learn it now, it will be difficult to learn it when they grow up,' she said. She added that teaching Arabic to non-native speakers is just as important, given that they are living in an Arab country. 'I will transfer my son, who is currently in preschool, to a different school next academic year because I want him to learn Arabic intensively. In his current school, he studies Arabic only twice a week, which is not enough. Therefore, I will move him to another school where he will learn Arabic daily,' she shared.
The National
8 hours ago
- The National
First recorded sighting of fish species in Abu Dhabi hailed as 'biodiversity milestone'
Abu Dhabi environment chiefs have hailed the first recorded sighting of a white-spotted grouper fish in the emirate's waters as a 'major biodiversity milestone'. The Environment Agency Abu Dhabi captured the species on camera in September. The fish is not considered critically endangered globally but its presence in Abu Dhabi waters is rare and was previously undocumented. It is now registered on the international FishBase database, a global biodiversity information system, with Abu Dhabi as a recorded location, marking a first for the region. 'The first recorded presence of the white-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus) is a major biodiversity milestone,' the EAD told The National on Tuesday. 'It indicates either improved habitat conditions or previously unrecorded distribution, both of which are valuable indicators of ecosystem resilience and monitoring effectiveness. 'This is the first confirmed record in the emirate, making it an important new addition to the UAE's marine species inventory.' Groupers are a diverse group of fish and often loosely referred to in the Middle East as hammour. The white-spotted grouper can be found across the Indo Pacific region. It is generally found in rocky areas, or near where coral is growing in chiefly shallow waters. It can grow up to more than 70cm. The sighting is not the only boost for Abu Dhabi's waters over the past few months. The EAD also said 55 nuaimi fish, a species rarely sighted in recent years, were also landed in the emirate's waters recently. Crucial discovery 'This is very significant as the landing of 55 nuaimi fish (Pinjalo Pinjalo) a species previously seen in very low numbers, suggests that fish populations are beginning to recover in healthier marine environments.' Additional sightings have also been made recently of rare species such as the large-scaled triggerfish and the spotted oceanic triggerfish. The sightings came as the EAD also reported an increase in the 'sustainable fisheries index', which measures how healthy fish populations are and how well fishing practices are helping them stay that way. It reached 97.4 per cent by the end of last year – up from just 8.9 per cent in 2018. The EAD said this means nearly all of the 'assessed fish stocks in Abu Dhabi are now being fished at sustainable levels'. 'In other words, they are no longer being overfished and have a good chance to recover naturally,' the EAD said. 'This is a major improvement from 2018, when only 8.9 per cent of stocks were within safe limits.' The development comes as Abu Dhabi continues its efforts to bolster sustainability of the emirate's seas and indicate healthier marine ecosystems as the world marked World Oceans Day on Sunday. Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region and chairman of the EAD, said the achievement in the fisheries index reflected Abu Dhabi's 'unwavering commitment and the diligent efforts of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi' to safeguard marine resources. 'It reinforces Abu Dhabi's ambitious vision to strike a harmonious balance between economic growth and environmental sustainability, serving as a global model for confronting environmental challenges for a prosperous and resilient future,' he said. Dr Shaikha Al Dhaheri, secretary general of the EAD, said the significant progress made in the index underlines Abu Dhabi's leadership in environmental conservation. 'We are committed to deploying best-in-class management practices and leveraging scientific capabilities to restore fish populations and protect marine ecosystems,' she said. 'This success affirms the importance of evidence-based policy and global best practices in conserving our natural heritage for future generations.' 'By combining policy enforcement, protected areas, habitat restoration, and community engagement, the emirate is positioning itself as a regional and global model for sustainable marine management,' the EAD said. The EAD also said the findings were a 'success story' and part of a broader long-term, science-driven strategy by the EAD to protect and restore marine life in Abu Dhabi. 'By combining policy enforcement, protected areas, habitat restoration, and community engagement, the emirate is positioning itself as a regional and global model for sustainable marine management.' The health of the world's seas are in sharp focus this week as nations meet in France at the UN Ocean Conference. The gathering seeks to build momentum and money for marine conservation despite the world's seas being affected by pollution, mining, overfishing and other issues. At home, authorities have made concerted efforts over the past few years to ensure the recovery of fish stocks and put the emirate on a path to sustainability. These measures include regulating commercial fishing activities through sustainable methods, as well as implementing new regulations for recreational fishing. There are six marine reserves in Abu Dhabi, for example. In 2019 gargoor, traditional metal dome-shaped traps used by fishermen, were banned in Abu Dhabi following a study that showed declines in hammour and farsh. These efforts have continued since. The EAD in May unveiled a plan to plant millions of coral colonies by 2030. The project builds on the success of restoring one million coral colonies since 2021. Fish numbers and species variety have increased by more than 50 per cent around these areas, the EAD said. The EAD also launched the ' Abu Dhabi Coral Garden ' initiative the same month. It plans to create 'gardens' by installing 40,000 eco-friendly artificial corals of various designs and sizes.
The National
15 hours ago
- The National
Abu Dhabi preschools to teach four hours of Arabic a week in new academic year
Abu Dhabi will require pupils from the age of three to be taught Arabic for four hours a week from the start of the new academic year, authorities have announced. The strategy, announced on Monday, aims to support efforts to promote the use of the language from an early age, the Department of Education and Knowledge said. Under the new School KG Arabic Curriculum Policy, children of pre-kindergarten age (three to four) to those of kindergarten 2 age (five to six) will receive "240 minutes per week of structured, age-appropriate Arabic instruction" in the 2025-2026 academic year, which is to begin at the end of August. This will increase to five hours a week from the 2026/2027 academic year, as part of a broader push to immerse young people in the language. The directive applies to all children in those age groups, including native Arabic speakers. The lessons will be built around play, storytelling, songs and exploration to help young children connect with Arabic, the department said. The initiative outlines two learning tracks. The first is designed to improve the fluency of native Arabic speakers, with the second tailored for non-native speakers and those new to the Emirates. Championing Arabic language 'This is about more than just adding Arabic lessons,' said Mariam Al Hallami, executive director for early education at the department. 'It's about giving every child in Abu Dhabi the gift of language, identity and connection, starting from day one. We want Arabic to feel natural, interactive and alive in every classroom and every home.' The initiative aims to bridge the gap between Arabic learning for children in preschool and the start of mandatory Arabic instruction at schools. In October, the department announced that nurseries in Abu Dhabi would be required to employ at least one Arabic-speaking teacher and encouraged institutions to provide more training staff to promote the everyday use of the language. It said the mandate would be introduced at the emirate's more than 200 nurseries – referred to as early childhood institutes by the authority – for the 2025/2026 academic year. UAE leaders have consistently highlighted the need to preserve and protect the Arabic language for generations to come. Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, has long supported the preservation of the language, which is spoken by more than 300 million people around the world. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in May last year that there was an urgent need to foster Arabic language skills in young people.
