Students planning to ‘de-stress’ during 3-week winter holiday
dubai — Students are in for a three-week-long treat as winter holidays for UAE private schools are coming up next week.
Private schools with foreign curriculums are off from December 16 and will resume classes on January 6, according to the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) 2018-2019 academic year calendar.
Those that follow MoE’s curriculum, as well as public schools, are off for four weeks starting December 16, and will reopen by January 13.
Private schools in Dubai, however, are allowed to reduce winter break by two weeks or extend to four weeks after seeking approval from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.
Many pupils have decided to spend their long-awaited winter holidays ‘de-stressing’, rather than getting ahead in their studies.
Ashna Presanth, a ninth-grade student at New Indian Model School, said: “Students are engrossed in studies most of the time. Their schedules are fully packed during the weekends, leaving no time to stretch . ... Bombarding students with homework during the winter vacation would affect their social life and minimise their time with family and friends.”
Winter break provides students with the opportunity to give their minds a break from schoolwork in between the semesters.”
Zahra Abdul Rasheed, Grade 8 student
Bombarding students with homework during the winter vacation would affect their social life and minimise their time with family and friends.”
Ashna Presanth, Grade 9 student
It’s important for everyone to remember there isn’t always another chance (to spend time with family), we need to take the opportunity when we can.”
Alicia Hol, parent
“Winter vacation is better than summer vacation, though the number of holidays is fewer, as the climate is good for trekking and hiking, among other adventures. It is also the start of the Dubai Shopping Festival and a good time to visit the Global Village,” Presanth added.
An eighth-grade student in Dubai, Zahra Abdul Rasheed, said winter holidays benefit not just students but also the school’s staff. She said it gives both educators and pupils an opportunity to “reboot their system” in the middle of the school year.
“In my opinion, winter break provides students with the muchneeded opportunity to take it easy and to give their minds a break from schoolwork in between the semesters. It helps ensure that students return for the new semester with fresh minds to tackle the rest of the school year.
“It’s important to unwind for a bit, but students should be wary of totally shutting their minds during the winter vacation,” Rasheed said.
A parent of three children, Alicia Hol, said her family would use the winter holidays to travel home and spend quality time together. Hol recently lost her father and said it has reminded the family just how important it is to spend time with loved ones once holidays arrive.
“We are heading for Australia to spend Christmas with my fatherin-law and the family. We recently lost my own father and it has really showed us how precious these opportunities are. I think it’s important for everyone to remember there isn’t always another chance, we need to take the opportunity when we can,” Hol said.