UAE: Schools in Abu Dhabi to have mandatory Physical Education curriculum
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) requires all schools to implement a structured physical education curriculum that guarantees students participate in supervised physical activities taught by certified instructors through an established written curriculum.
All students must have access to physical education through alternative sports choices or accommodations when they cannot take part in specific classes for personal comfort reasons or due to social standards.
“Previously, PE teacher qualifications were not regulated. Sylvie Wald from ADEK's Education Policy Office revealed that any coach or instructor could lead classes without following a formal curriculum. We insist that everything be structured from now on.
The new physical education policy created by ADEK last September requires every school to adopt a physical literacy framework for their PE programs to make students participate in minimum 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. The policy now closes the enduring loophole which permitted students to avoid PE through a basic parental note.
Many students resisted participation in PE sessions because they wanted to avoid sweating and because of personal discomfort especially among female students. This is absolutely detrimental to their health.”
ADEK has implemented a new rule requiring schools to provide accommodations rather than allowing students to completely skip PE classes. Students who are uncomfortable with mixed-gender PE classes require alternative options even in co-educational schools. Schools can provide alternatives like separate sections for students or install privacy screens and offer different physical activities.
Existing PE programmes at most schools feature assorted sports offerings but the new policy demands more structured and obligatory participation. Before this initiative schools operated without an official PE policy according to Wald.
Physical Education remained a curriculum requirement in both the French and American educational systems yet schools applied it differently. Private schools operated with 16 distinct curricula that approached Physical Education in various ways. We’ve made it clear that the current state of affairs is unacceptable.
ADEK will enforce their latest policy changes starting September 2026. Non-compliance could lead to fines.
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