No, you don’t need to send your child to one of the Islamic schools in Dubai for Islamic lessons. Likewise, you don’t need to enrol your child in a United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Education (MoE) school so he can learn Arabic.
In the UAE, all schools — including non-MoE-curriculum schools — must offer both Islamic and Arabic education.
Mandatory Islamic Education
The Ministry of Education (MoE) requires all schools in the UAE to include Islamic subjects in their students’ lessons. This regulation applies even to international schools that do not follow the MoE curriculum.
Therefore, even British-curriculum schools — the most popular type of international school in Dubai, accounting for 35% of the total 303,262 private school student enrolment — must have Islamic lessons. American, Indian, International Baccalaureate (IB), and other schools, regardless of their curriculum, must likewise integrate Islamic education into their education program.
Of course, even if Islamic instruction is a compulsory requirement for Dubai schools, only Muslim students (Arab and non-Arab) are required to take Islamic lessons.
The following are some guidelines schools must follow regarding the compulsory Islamic education in Dubai.
1. Six Years Old
Islamic education for Muslim students begins when they are six to seven years old; that’s year two in British-curriculum schools and grade one in American-curriculum schools.
2. Twelve Years
Muslim students must have 12 years of Islamic education. That’s from years two to 13 for British-curriculum schools (or grades one to 12 in the American curriculum).
3. Early Years
Some schools offer Islamic education in year one (British curriculum) or kindergarten two (American curriculum). Yet some others provide Islamic instruction in foundation stage two (British curriculum), also known as reception, or kindergarten one (American curriculum).
4. MoE Standards and Textbooks
All schools must follow the standards set by the Ministry of Education on its Islamic Studies curriculum or framework. They must also use only the textbooks prescribed by the Ministry.
5. Frequency of Lessons
Arab Muslim students must take at least three Islamic lessons per week from years two to four (British curriculum) or grades one to three (American curriculum). Beyond that (from year five to 13 for British-curriculum schools and from grade four to 12 in American schools), they will have at least two Islamic education lessons per week.
Meanwhile, non-Arab Muslim students have two Islamic Studies lessons per week from years two to 13 (British curriculum) or from grades one to 12 (American curriculum).
Compulsory Arabic Language Instruction
Arabic (standard) is one of the most used languages in the world. According to Statista, approximately 274 million people speak Arabic globally, making it the world’s sixth most-spoken language, next only to French (fifth), Spanish (fourth), Hindi (third), Mandarin (second), and English (first).
The UAE requires all schools to teach Arabic as a first language or as an additional language. This time, it is compulsory for all students, regardless of race and nationality. Therefore, all children enrolled in UAE schools, including international non-MoE schools, must learn Arabic.
The following are some guidelines that govern the compulsory Arabic education in Dubai.
1. First Language or Additional Language
Schools often have two Arabic language programs. Native Arab speakers (i.e., students enrolled using Arab passports) take the Arabic as a first language program. In contrast, non-native speakers (i.e., students registered under other nationalities) must take the Arabic as an additional language program.
Learning Arabic in school is one of the most effective ways Arab students can remain in touch with their roots, identity and culture. Arabic education, meanwhile, teaches non-Arabs about the culture of their host (the UAE) even as it equips them better for learning in an Arab-speaking country.
2. Six Years Old
Arabic education is compulsory from year two (British curriculum) or grade one (American curriculum). It is like Islamic education in this sense; it must be taught to children six to seven years old.
3. Early Years
Some international schools offer Arabic education earlier than year two or grade one, a practice the MoE encourages. Some of the best British schools offer Arabic language education for native speakers starting at foundation stage two or reception.
4. Nine Years or Twelve Years
UAE students must study Arabic for 12 years (Arab students) and nine years (non-Arabs).
Generally, this is years two to 10 or from grades one to nine for non-native speakers. After nine years, Arabic becomes optional; non-Arab students may continue their Arabic lessons if they prefer.
For native Arabic speakers, Arabic instruction is usually from years two to 13 or from grades one to 12.
Some schools that offer Arabic a year early often go beyond the required 12-year requirement for the Arabic-as-a-first-language program. For instance, there are British-curriculum schools that provide Arabic education to native Arabic speakers from foundation stage two (equivalent to kindergarten one in American schools) until Year 12.
In schools where the Arabic-as-an-additional-language program starts one year earlier, Arabic education for non-native speakers can last from year one (equivalent to kindergarten two in American schools) to year nine. Then it becomes optional from year 10 and beyond.
5. Frequency of Arabic Lessons
Following the typical Arabic education timeline, the Arabic as a first language program for Arabs entails:
- Six lessons per week for three years (years two to four)
- Five lessons per week for another three years (years five to seven)
- Four lessons per week for the remaining six years (years eight to 13)
Meanwhile, non-Arabs must have four Arabic lessons per week for nine years.
6. National Curriculum Document for Arabic First Language
Schools must follow the standards set in the national curriculum document for the Arabic as a first language program. They must also use the MoE-prescribed Arabic education textbooks.
7. The MoE Framework for Arabic as an Additional Language
Meanwhile, non-Arab students of Arabic are held to the curriculum standards and expectations specified in the MoE framework for the Arabic as an additional language program.
Core Islamic and Arabic Subjects
All UAE schools must offer instruction in Islamic Studies and Arabic. Islamic subjects are required for all Muslim students, while Arabic is mandated for all students.
Thus, Muslim Arab parents can rest assured their children will not miss out on essential Islamic and Arabic lessons if they do not send their children to an Arabic-only Islamic school in Dubai. Islamic and Arabic education is available even in Dubai’s international (e.g., British and American) schools.
Govind Nair
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