For parents who navigate Dubai's congested roads daily, the time spent commuting to school can be as significant as the start of the school day. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) states that schools can request schedule changes, but any adjustment must receive regulator approval and consider student well-being.
During the Media Majlis event on Thursday, KHDA CEO Aisha Miran emphasized that the authority does not intend to impose a uniform schedule across Dubai's diverse school sector, given differences in curricula and extracurricular activities. She noted: 'Any changes to a school's schedule must be approved by KHDA. We do not want to dictate a specific time because different curricula have different needs, and schools also have different needs for extracurricular activities. We are saying that if you want to change a school's schedule, ensure you are considering student well-being.'
Nevertheless, for families, the school day does not begin when the child enters the classroom. Long commutes, early departures, and time spent in traffic can significantly increase the overall burden of the school routine. Miran suggested that a long-term solution to travel time should go beyond simply changing school hours and involve planning for Dubai's districts and communities.
She pointed to the Dubai Education Plan as a way to bring schools closer to children's residences, aiming to make active and safe modes of transport more practical. 'But when we talk about travel time, our Dubai Education Plan (E33) must solve this problem. We would like to see our children walking to school, cycling, or using safe scooters, not these electric scooters.'
Miran also added that families using private cars or school buses should expect acceptable commute times and not view the school schedule as the sole solution to road congestion. 'Those who wish to use private transport or a bus must have an acceptable commute time. Ultimately, that is our intention. The Dubai city plan aims for a 20-minute reach, so everything should be perfectly accessible within this 20-minute window.'