Do UAE schools start too early in the morning?

Visit any residential community in Dubai at 6.30am on a weekday morning, and it’s unlikely to be the quiet and sleepy street scene you might expect. Instead, many families’ days will already be in full swing, with engines revving, car doors slamming, and children grabbing lunch boxes, school hats and water bottles as they’re shepherded onto buses or into the car for the journey to school.

School days in the UAE start early. Very early when compared with the norm in many other countries around the world; although individual schools vary, the majority of private and public UAE school starts are from around 7.30am, with arrival times from 7am not uncommon.

All this means crack-of-dawn alarm clocks for UAE parents and children. And yet very early school start times harm children, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP): it recommends that middle and high school students start classes at 8.30am at the very earliest to ensure students get the amount of sleep that they need to function properly.

“Insufficient sleep represents one of the most common, important, and potentially remediable health risks in children,” write the AAP authors in the report.

Early in the morning, even very small amounts of time can make a big difference, the report continues:

“Studies comparing high schools with start times as little as 30 minutes earlier versus those with later start times demonstrate such adverse consequences as shorter sleep duration, increased sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, behaviour problems, and absenteeism.”

Later school start times are particularly beneficial for teenagers, whose circadian rhythms have been shown to shift during puberty, with many research papers showing that they are naturally wired to fall asleep later at night and wake up later in the morning. Adolescents’ bodies have been proven to release melatonin 1 – 2 hours later than younger children or adults, meaning their brains are still in “sleep mode” until about 8am.

Is your child going to bed at the right time for their age? See our age-by-age sleep chart here.

Kyla Wahlstrom, a professor of education administration policy at the University of Minnesota who researches school start times, outlines the many benefits that have been shown to stem from delaying school start times:

“There’s a constellation of good outcomes — less depression, less drug use, less cigarette and alcohol use… The number of car crashes decrease and there are better academic outcomes for schools.”

The American state of California has listened to this research. On 1 July this year a law came into effect requiring that public high schools in the US state of California start lessons at 8.30am – half an hour later than they were previously – while middle schools can start no earlier than 8am.

It’s also catching on in the UAE, with newly opened Dubai-based school, Bloom World Academy, becoming the first school in the country to have its official school day starting at 9am.

But what do UAE families and education experts think about the early school starts? And is there really a push for change? SchoolsCompared spoke to parents and educationalists to find out…

Why do schools start so early in the UAE?

Those early wake-up calls can come as a surprise to UAE new expats, says Mark Atkins, Founding Principal of Durham School Dubai:

“It is noticeable, and quite a shock to newcomers to the UAE, that schools start earlier than in many parts of the world.  I think this has evolved for a number of reasons, but principally because schools are arranging their start and finish times to facilitate parents’ work – in other words starting early so parents can drop off and then attend work on time.”

“Schools also finish earlier in the UAE and I believe that this came about partly to avoid the heat in the afternoon and also the late afternoon/evening rush hour traffic.”

However, Mr Atkins believes that it’s not necessarily feasible for schools to change to later timings, because of the practicalities for parents’ work:

“In one of my previous schools, we did look at a later start time, but this was received with mixed reviews, mainly due to parents work arrangements.”

Although Mr Atkins believes that later school start times could have a positive impact, he says it would take a wider policy change in workplaces across the UAE in order for it to really work for families:

 “I believe that a later start and finish time would be much more beneficial to children and to families – the need to rise early in the morning must surely impact on family time in the evening as children need to go to bed early in order to be ready for the morning.”

“I remember well the difficulty of getting my young son up at the crack of dawn to get into school – it is not an ideal way to start the day!”

“If we are to be serious about looking at school start times then this needs to be part of a wider adoption of flexible working hours across the UAE and flexible working, as mandated in the wellbeing provisions announced in February this year, must become more deeply engrained.”

Taking a toll

Many UAE parents feel the toll of the early mornings on their children.

This is something that the educationalists at Kings InterHigh have noticed – and is one of the reasons they say that families opt for an online school option. Ashley Harrold, Executive Headteacher of Kings InterHigh, told SchoolsCompared:

“School day timings in the UAE have definitely seen more pushback in recent years, especially with research suggesting that many students don’t get enough sleep. These early starts can also be a difficult adjustment for families moving to the UAE from other countries overseas.

“Flexible schedules are definitely one reason why families are turning to online schooling. At online school, students get a more personalised timetable that fits around their needs and lifestyle. For some learners, that may simply mean a chance to get more sleep in the morning. For others, this flexibility creates more freedom to engage in athletics, arts, and other activities outside of school.”

Flexibility helps families

Increased flexibility in order to fit in external pursuits is why UAE-based parent Kim Paterson, Business Development Manager at The Dance Project UAE and the mother of Tallulah (8) and Kai (6), decided to move her children from their previous UAE school to Bloom World Academy:

“Before, we went to a school where drop off began at 7.30 am. I found we were pressured in the evenings to get home and start the bedtime routine, making it stressful and rushed as the kids have a busy out-of-school schedule, with Tallulah training for competitions in acro dance.”

“Now, we have more time for these classes, and then on the evenings when she doesn’t have training, we have more family time. It means we’re able to make the most of living in Dubai, where there are so many places to be out and about.”

Mother Kim Paterson says that later school start times really help her children, Kai and Tallulah (pictured), to fit in their extracurricular passions outside of school

Kim says that the more relaxed starts remind her of her home country:

“The later timings made it more like the UK, where I grew up, so I am used to things being this way.

“The extensive choice of BELAs [Bloom Enrichment Learning Activities] before and after school make the day super flexible. Some mornings they start at 8am and some 8.45am, and pick-up varies between 4pm and 5.15 depending on what they have chosen.”

Both of Kim’s children are professional child actors and models, and will sometimes have late photo or video shoots. The flexible start times are invaluable for enabling this facet of their lives, says Kim:

“I no longer have to wake them up super early the next day; they can sleep in and still get to school rested.”

The bright side of early rises

However, not all families dislike the early start times of most UAE schools. Mum of twins and SchoolsCompared Parent Panellist Ellie Salkeld says that she actually prefers her school’s prompt start time of 7.50am:

“Our school’s arrival time is 7.30am – 7.45am, with lessons starting by 7.50am.”

“It’s not too early for me. We are a very early-morning family, which I think suits the environment we live in, as the mornings are often when you can find the best weather for outdoor activities in the UAE.”

Ellie Salkeld is the mum of twins, a children’s book writer and part-time teaching assistant

Nonetheless, Ellie admits that the early timings don’t suit everyone:

“I understand that for some people, possibly in cultures where whole families staying up into the evening is more common, the early starts could be really painful.”

“But for me, the question itself is most interesting in the light of a changing world where business hours and workplaces have become more flexible. And even the linear nature of employment – traditionally being employed only by one organisation long-term – is changing too.”

“But I don’t think we’re quite set up for similarly flexible education provision in the UAE, yet – from in-person schooling, at least.”

“I would also like to hear what teachers think about this question, as they have to be at school even earlier than the children!”

Teacher wellbeing matters too

John Bell, Principal of Bloom World Academy, picks up on this point about teachers’ early schedules too. Mr Bell is pioneering the flexible-timings model for in-person schooling in his school, which opened in Dubai this August, and says it’s high time that other schools adapt to the changing world too:

“Air conditioning has been invented – schools do not need to start so early.”

“At Bloom World Academy we are the only school in the UAE to start the official school day at 9am. We believe this is fundamental to rebalancing family life.”

“The early starts at other schools mean children are often tired through the day.”

“The early starts mean even earlier starts for teachers – so their well-being, family life and preparation for their teaching day is affected.”

“That said, at BWA we also acknowledge families need and want flexibility – so the school is open from 7am to 7pm – and families can make bespoke decisions about what works for them.”

Are schools under pressure to be more flexible for families?

At the beginning of 2022, the UAE Government implemented a 4.5-day working week, citing improved family life as one of the reasons for the move.

Combined with the radical shifts in working patterns and practices that we saw over the pandemic, are schools under pressure from parents to provide a more flexible schedule or later UAE school starts for families?

Ashley Harrold, Executive Headteacher of Kings InterHigh, says yes:

 “We consistently see increased demand for flexibility in schooling. Some students need to fit their learning around their dreams — take our IGCSE pupil and table tennis star Anna Hursey, for example, who was recently selected to compete in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

“Many other families find that the rigid pacing of traditional schooling simply doesn’t work for their child.”

But flexibility is not just about school start times for Kings InterHigh, says Mr Harrold:

“The pandemic has changed perceptions around how best to organise and structure education, opening people’s eyes to what is possible with online schooling done right.”

Kings InterHigh’s lessons are both delivered live in interactive virtual classrooms, and recorded, so that children can catch up as needed. The online school’s new Online IB Diploma Programme also makes use of immersive VR technology, so that students can conduct virtual science experiments in Chemistry, or explore Anne Frank’s annexe in History.

“Just as employers have seen the benefits of flexible work opportunities, schools are now seeing that tailored curriculums, adaptive technologies, and personalised support are all key to future of education.”

Bloom World Academy (BWA) Principal John Bell says that there is not really external pressure for schools to become more flexible following the pandemic, but that BWA has chosen to as part of its educational ethos:

“To some extent there is a spin off from the pandemic, but my feeling is that far too long the teach and test culture of most schools in Dubai can produce results but fails to create a holistic learning experience.”

“We have set out to be more flexible from the start – with both our timings, our students all being able to customise their learning through individual learning pathways.”

“There is no pressure to adapt – in Dubai currently ‘traditional’ schools are extremely popular – but to create a school which is family first and works in genuine partnership with parents, which is based on equality and puts students at the heart of decision making is not a fad or being progressive – it’s a genuine acknowledgement that the world is changing, and young people are the agent of this change.”

Meanwhile Mark Atkins, Principal at Durham School Dubai, says that often flexibility is taken to mean longer hours of childcare provision, and that it’s important to strike a balance between parent preferences and children’s wellbeing:

“Absolutely, I believe that schools should try to be flexible to cater for family’s needs, but the parents must also carefully balance what is right physically and emotionally for their children as well as what is most convenient for them.”

“I do not believe that very young children should spend a long time on school buses and nor should they stay in school long after school has finished.”

“Extracurricular activities are valuable in broadening the educational experience for children who are enthusiastic about the activity offered, and a degree of after-school care is also important to enable families to manage their busy lives.”

“However, I would hope that parents choose a school based on the quality of education and the alignment of the school’s ethos and values to the families beliefs rather than merely the convenience of the bus service or a calculation based on how long a child can be left at the school during the day.”

“At Durham, of course we will listen to the parents’ wishes – consultation with parents is key to building a happy and successful learning community. However, any decision we make at Durham will be based on our beliefs as to what is best for the child.”

Are early UAE school starts part of instilling discipline?

Getting up early, learning the value of good time-keeping and honouring commitments are lifelong, real-world skills that children need to be taught – skills that most adults will have learnt through high punctuality expectations and penalties for lateness in their own school days. Are flexible school schedules still able to impart this sense of discipline?

BWA Principal John Bell shares his view:

“Rhythms and routines are important. Being punctual is an important trait and skill that has been eroded over my time in school life – as have many basic manners and etiquettes.”

“We do not believe in punishments or penalties for being late at BWA  – rather adults model  the right behaviours and we challenge poor social skills – which includes tardinesss.”

“As we say at BWA – ‘if the teacher gets to the door first, we open the door for the student, if the student gets to the door first – they open the door for the teacher’”

Mark Atkins, Principal at Durham School Dubai, says that punctuality and self-discipline are fundamental skills that teachers strive to impart at his school:

“At Durham, we believe that discipline is important in schools and that there is no discipline like self -discipline, this is our goal. We believe that timekeeping is not just a matter of discipline but of common courtesy. If you have a meeting arranged then it is only polite to be there on time; lateness is disrespectful. This is a habit that we would like all of our children to develop alongside traditional good manners, social skills, kindness and caring for others.”

“Rather than set penalties for being late, we believe that by raising awareness of the impact of ones tardiness on others and by setting a clear expectation that timekeeping is important, punctuality will be embraced by the school community.”

Although online schooling might be flexible, it teaches children and huge amount of self-discipline, says Kings InterHigh’s Mr Harrold:

“Guiding young people towards adulthood is certainly an important part of what we do, and we’ve found that our learning model intrinsically helps students to develop those all-important skills for the future.”

“Online education helps to build independence, and our students learn to take ownership of their organisation, timekeeping, and prioritisation as they learn with us. When our learners are completing a project, for example, they develop their skills in planning and working to a deadline.”

“High standards are, of course, important, and it’s crucial that our students are ready for the expectations of higher education and the world of work. However, at King’s InterHigh, we build these characteristics through positive reinforcement, personalised support, and celebration of achievements.”

“Ultimately, flexibility is a spectrum, and there are ways for schools of all types to give families more options and control over learning.”

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