1.1m students back to school today

SCHOOL-BASED EVALUATIONS REPLACE CENTRAL TESTS AS SECOND TERM OF 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR BEGINS

- BY KHITAM AL AMIR Chief News Editor

The second term of the 2025-2026 academic year will begin today without centralised examinations, as government and private schools following the curriculum of the Ministry of Education welcome around 1.1 million students from kindergarten to Grade 12.

According to the approved academic calendar, the second term will span 69 school days, equivalent to nine weeks. This includes 47 days of classroom instruction, 19 weekend days and three days allocated for the midterm break, ensuring a balance between academic achievement and the well-being of students and teaching staff.

Student assessment during the second term is based on key changes introduced by the Ministry of Education at the start of the current academic year to enhance learning outcomes. Centralised end of term examinations for all grades have been cancelled and replaced with school-based final assessments.