UAE: Indian schools to follow unified academic calendar starting April 2026
The Indian curriculum schools in the UAE will officially transition to Ministry of Education’s (MOE) common academic calendar from April 2026, bringing their long-held tradition into agreement with that of the MOE which follows an August-July cycle.
No easing for the current year made sense, because schools had started their academic sessions already, principals said.
The majority of the UAE’s international curricula schools will break for a month-long winter break next month, but Asian curriculum schools remain in the classroom until the end of the second week … a practice that has been long-standing due to home country board examination requirements.
Preparing a structured transition
Duly influenced by these decisions, school principal of Dewvale School Dubai, Seema Umar stated the same for completing all instruction days and assessments this academic year.
For the 2026-27 school year, she said, the school is planning “a formal transition plan that aligns curriculum pacing, assessment timing and operational routines to the consolidated calendar with no compromise to pedagogical rigor or compliance requirements.”
Smooth transitions are key to provide continuous instruction and learning, she said. To assist families in managing the transition, Umar said the school understands that shifting calendars affect daily routines. She pointed out that they would give clear prior notice on all important dates and allow for transition time, underpinned by orientation programs, parent notes and student wellbeing strategies.
Successful alignment will depend on “open communication and shared understanding among all stakeholders,” she said. Schools have already started talking to teachers about reworking unit plans and assessments, supported by a professional development plan to assist staff in making adjustments.
For parents, a phased plan of communication will include meetings, FAQs and workshops “to explain what the unified calendar means and how it will be implemented,” she said to make sure the entire school community feels informed and supported.
Prioritising student wellbeing
At the Global Indian International School (GIIS) Dubai, Principal Anita Singh told Gulf News that transitioning will be part of a “three-pronged focus” to ensure students’ academic pathways are secure.
She added that as little would change in people’s routines as possible, “the impact is not large scale,” and local work patterns are going to be fitted around the national calendar will ensure daily life isn’t interrupted with disruptive changes.
Putting student welfare as the top priority, Singh said the timetables and internal assessment will be met according to board norms. “I will ensure that all stakeholders are informed in time, once the decision is made,” she said, with orientations being “organized in phases for a better understanding and clarity on expectations to reduce anxiety. Parents will also get printed FAQs explaining the changes.
Internal exams will also be moved in the transition, and students will continue to be board-ready with altered mock exams and revision schedules. "The school will go through the transition and see that disruption is kept to a minimum," Singh said.
Meanwhile, Indian curriculum education schools have not been affected.
Current academic cycle to continue until April 2026
Nargish Khambatta, principal of GEMS Modern Academy and Executive Vice President – Education, GEMS Education maintained that “the unified calendar does not affect Indian curriculum schools till April 2026 hence does not affect us now.” She said even though the long-held tradition of ending the term in the second week of December is not in accordance with 182 instructional days, they are still lined up.
December continues to be an important month for board-exam classes, when schools drill students with targeted preparation and support,' said Khambatta. Younger students, she said, enjoy a mix of academic work and sporting and co-curricular activities as well as excursions organized by teachers. The winter recess then serves as “a much-needed break” before the completion of terms.
She emphasised that “inasmuch as the unified calendar does not have immediate effect on Indian schools, plans for how to go about the implementation, will be well though-out for in April 2026”.
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