• Finland: Pupils in the Nordic nation spend a daily average of five hours at school. Reuters
    Finland: Pupils in the Nordic nation spend a daily average of five hours at school. Reuters
  • United Kingdom: A typical school day is between five and six hours long. Reuters
    United Kingdom: A typical school day is between five and six hours long. Reuters
  • Russia: Pupils are typically in class for five to six hours each day. Reuters
    Russia: Pupils are typically in class for five to six hours each day. Reuters
  • United States: Pupils are at school for close to seven hours a day, studies show. AFP
    United States: Pupils are at school for close to seven hours a day, studies show. AFP
  • Australia: Learners typically spend seven hours a day at school in the Antipodean country. Reuters
    Australia: Learners typically spend seven hours a day at school in the Antipodean country. Reuters
  • UAE: Children are often at school for seven to eight hours a day, but Fridays are half-days. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    UAE: Children are often at school for seven to eight hours a day, but Fridays are half-days. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Chile: The average school day is eight hours, similar to a shift at work for many employees. Reuters
    Chile: The average school day is eight hours, similar to a shift at work for many employees. Reuters
  • China: Lengthy school days are the norm, with many pupils completing nine hours of studies. Getty Images
    China: Lengthy school days are the norm, with many pupils completing nine hours of studies. Getty Images
  • Taiwan: Pupils spend upwards of nine hours at school each day on average. AFP
    Taiwan: Pupils spend upwards of nine hours at school each day on average. AFP
  • South Korea: A marathon day can sometimes last between 12 and 16 hours, with dinner often served at school. EPA
    South Korea: A marathon day can sometimes last between 12 and 16 hours, with dinner often served at school. EPA

Why less could be more for UAE pupils facing lengthy school days


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

The daily grind of the working week can take its toll on even the most resilient of employees, with reports of burnout and mental fatigue on the rise around the globe.

But it is not only adults who are dealing with long hours and lengthy commutes as the frantic pace of modern life shows few signs of slowing down.

Private school pupils in the UAE regularly spend seven to eight hours in the classroom, with the addition of extracurricular activities and travel times meaning some spend as many as 12 hours away from home on any given day.

Pupils usually need to wake up between 5.30am to 6.30am to arrive at school between 7am and 8am, while schools finish between 3pm and 4pm.

There is no correlation between more hours and better performance
Erika Elkady,
vice principal at Jumeira Baccalaureate School

The challenging schedule, which is mirrored and even more exhaustive in other countries, has raised the question of whether less would be more for the well-being of young minds.

Experts have said long school days do not lead to more productivity, greater learning or improved pupil performance.

How does UAE compare globally?

In Finland, widely regarded as a standard bearer for education standards, pupils start the day at 9am and finish at 2.45pm, putting the school day at less than six hours.

The UK also has an average school day of between five and six hours, with the US at 6.64 hours.

The most taxing school day is to be found in South Korea, with pupils often expected to be learning for 12 hours to 16 hours, with after-school academies in place and dinners served at school.

Pupils in China are typically in the classroom from 8am until 5pm, with the school day in the Philippines also lasting nine hours.

Quality over quantity is key

Pupils at Jumeira Baccalaureate School. Photo: Jumeira Baccalaureate School
Pupils at Jumeira Baccalaureate School. Photo: Jumeira Baccalaureate School

Erika Elkady, vice principal at Jumeira Baccalaureate School in Dubai, said it was crucial not to pile too much pressure on children.

“Having longer school days doesn't mean that students learn more and achieve higher; it has been proven by a lot of research in different countries that this is not the case,” she said.

“There is no correlation between more hours and better performance.

“I feel that school leaders with the support of the government need to be brave and they need to stop this.

“We have a moral obligation to look after these kids. We want them to be successful, but we can look at some countries where there is less pressure on pupils.

“Let children be children. We need to look after our young people and stop putting all the pressure on the children with all these long school days; it's not helping them at all.”

Reducing the workload

Jumeira Baccalaureate School shortened its school day by 30 minutes on average in August 2021.

Previously, pupils had to be in school by 7.30am and the first lesson would start at 7.45am. Since August 2021, pupils have to be in school for an 8.15am start and their first lesson is at 8.30am.

Younger pupils finish at 2.50pm while those in grades 11 and 12 finish the school day at 3.30pm. Previously, all pupils finished at 3.15pm.

Children needed time to invent, explore and be creative, but with long school days they were often too tired.

“When they are exhausted, how can they learn?” said Ms Elkady.

Schools in the UAE have historically started early so that children will be able to go home early and not be in a bus or at school during peak heat.

But now, working parents often prefer to drop children to school early on the way to work and pick them up after work as they find this convenient, said Ms Elkady.

  • Pupils walking on the campus at Jumeira Baccalaureate School.
    Pupils walking on the campus at Jumeira Baccalaureate School.
  • Children arrive for the first day of school after the summer holidays at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Children arrive for the first day of school after the summer holidays at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Families on the first day of school after the summer holidays at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Families on the first day of school after the summer holidays at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Children arrive for the first day of school after the summer holidays. Dubai British School, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Children arrive for the first day of school after the summer holidays. Dubai British School, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Families are excited about the later start at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Families are excited about the later start at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Pupils are excited about the later start at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Pupils are excited about the later start at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Children arrive for the first day of school after the summer holidays at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Children arrive for the first day of school after the summer holidays at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Families drop their children off at Bloom World Academy.
    Families drop their children off at Bloom World Academy.

Efficient use of time

Mary Carskadon, a professor of psychiatry and human behaviour at Brown University in the US, said people believed more time in the classroom was better but research did not support this.

“In the United States, a state will make a law that we need the kids in the classroom for a certain number of hours a year and they will lengthen the day to accommodate that, but it's not producing gains in learning,” said Prof Carskadon.

“It's not what the pupil's bodies and brains are built to do.”

A 2017 Nigerian study titled Does Longer Instruction Time In School Improve Children’s Performance? said educators and policymakers may mean well for pupils by choosing longer school hours but the optimal use of the time and a consideration of need was more important to education.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found that the time spent in school was much less important than how it was spent.

Hisham Niaz, 15, a Pakistani grade nine pupil at Jumeira Baccalaureate School, has several extra curricular activities such as football, rugby, basketball, and ends up spending close to 12 hours at school on some days.

He wakes up at 7am to be at school by 8.15am and is usually home by 3pm.

Earlier, he needed to wake up at 6.30am to be in school by 7.45am and would be home by 3.30pm. On days that he has extracurricular activities, he comes home around 7pm.

The pupil lives a walking distance from home but said the shorter hours at his school had helped him.

“I get that extra amount of sleep that I need or a little bit of extra time to do homework or rest,” said Hisham.

“It does get tough but I'm used to it. I think it's very beneficial as that extra 30 minutes to 45 minutes can really help.

“If I have an activity or something, I get that extra boost of energy to go home or just relax and then proceed and do homework.”

More hours does not equal more productivity

Nurture 2 Sleep founder Julie Mallon, an experienced health practitioner and childhood sleep expert, said neuroscience data showed that the golden hour for sleep for schoolchildren up to the age of 11 was 7pm.

Longer hours at school do not make children more productive, she said.

“Some of my parents with younger children say they go to school, they start early, but they watch children's programmes. That is not enhancing our children's learning in any shape or form,” said Ms Mallon.

“The longer school day does not support a greater performance outcome in terms of intellect.”

Mental health experts have pointed to an alarming rise in the number of children with anxiety issues and eating disorders, which, in part, is due to the pressure they face due to long school days, said Ms Mallon.

Anthony Murphy, director of psychology at the University of Birmingham Dubai, said that people often idealised examples found elsewhere around the world.

The Finnish model is often idealised but Finland has a homogenous population for whom that model works, he said.

More research is needed in the UAE to understand what would work here, Mr Murphy said.

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

FIXTURES

Saturday, November 3
Japan v New Zealand
Wales v Scotland
England v South Africa
Ireland v Italy

Saturday, November 10
Italy v Georgia
Scotland v Fiji
England v New Zealand
Wales v Australia
Ireland v Argentina
France v South Africa

Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
Scotland v South Africa
Ireland v New Zealand

Saturday, November 24
|Italy v New Zealand
Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji

Gender pay parity on track in the UAE

The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.

"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."

Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.

"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.

As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general. 

Where to buy art books in the UAE

There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.

In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show. 

In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.

In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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The%20specs
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

UAE cricketers abroad

Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.

Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.

Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba

2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.

Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.

Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.

Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

What it means to be a conservationist

Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

What is biodiversity?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.

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Updated: February 05, 2023, 3:57 AM