Due to increased road traffic during school commutes in Dubai, a number of educational institutions have expressed willingness to review the start and end times of classes. The goal of these changes is to ease congestion, reduce daily travel, and ensure a calmer start to the school day for students.
This issue is actively discussed by parents who face growing road congestion when rushing to get their children to school on time. This raises a discussion about how much flexible scheduling in schools can help alleviate pressure on families.
However, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) emphasized that schools cannot make such decisions independently. The regulator also noted that it does not intend to impose a uniform schedule across Dubai's diverse school sector, given the differences in curricula and extracurricular activities.
This leaves room for schools to explore alternative options provided that any proposed changes are approved and do not jeopardize the learning process or student well-being.
The Director of Dewvale School, Sima Omar, stated that the school is open to reviewing its schedule as the needs of families and students evolve. She noted that travel time and traffic are an important part of the overall school day experience, especially when long journeys can lead to children being tired even before classes begin.
Sima Omar stressed: 'We are always ready to revise our schedule in response to the changing needs of our students and families. Traffic and travel time are an important part of the overall school experience, and we understand that a long journey can affect a child's energy and well-being even before the start of the school day.'
Nevertheless, Omar emphasized that any change must be carefully planned considering learning time, transportation, and family routines. One option she believes could bring tangible benefits is shifting the start time between schools in the same area.
'The biggest difference will come from shifting the start time, especially between schools in the same locality. Even a difference of 15–30 minutes at the beginning and end of classes can help distribute peak traffic and reduce long commutes,' she said. She also added that unnecessarily early wake-ups for younger children should be avoided, as adequate sleep and a calm start to the day are necessary for their well-being. The priority should be schedule adjustment, not reducing instructional time.
Omar reported that schools are willing to cooperate with KHDA and other educational institutions to find practical solutions if greater flexibility can help reduce road congestion.
At Bloom World Academy, schedule flexibility is already integrated into the school's model. The main school day starts at 9 am, with a later start introduced to give families more freedom and ensure students arrive at school rested and ready to learn.
The school also offers an earlier extended option starting at 8 am for families who need it, while maintaining a full school day from 9 am to 4 pm. The school stated that this model was designed to give children more time in the morning without sacrificing academic rigor.
'Flexibility has been part of our approach since the beginning. The main school day runs from 9 am to 4 pm, while families needing an earlier start can utilize extended options from 8 am, giving parents more choice for drop-off while maintaining a full and structured school day,' the school clarified.
The Director of Al Diyafah High School, Nita Shetty, opined that changing the school schedule can have different consequences depending on the location of the schools and the nature of the surrounding traffic. She acknowledged that traffic jams are a serious problem for families across Dubai, but noted that traffic is currently quite predictable as most schools operate within a similar time frame for start and end of classes.
She suggested that greater scheduling flexibility could help some schools and families, but its impact would depend on the location and surrounding traffic flows. She also pointed out an often overlooked issue—the impact on parents and school staff whose children attend schools with different schedules.
She stressed that any change must consider the well-being of students, staff, and their families. For example, staff members might have children attending other schools with different schedules, which could create difficulties for family routines. Shetty also noted that shifting the school day might require institutions to incorporate a lunch break, potentially leading to students spending more time at school rather than shortening the day.
'Flexibility is certainly worth exploring, but it must be considered holistically, ensuring that any change genuinely benefits families while protecting instructional time, student well-being, and the practical realities of school operations.'
