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How Successive Policy Layers Produced Abu Dhabi's Current Education Settings
A sequence of reforms beginning in the 2024/25 academic year set the stage for the adjustments now guiding schools in 2026.
How we reported this
The 2025-2026 academic year in Abu Dhabi began in late August 2025 with the introduction of a new AI curriculum from kindergarten to grade 2 and the cancellation of centralized exams in the second semester. These measures followed directly from earlier decisions that had already altered how private schools and early education institutions operate.
Foundations Laid in 2024/25
Effective from the 2024/25 academic year, ADEK put in place 39 updated policies for private schools and 27 new policies for Early Education Institutions. The policies addressed governance, teaching practices and wellbeing standards. Their implementation created the administrative and instructional base on which the 2025-2026 changes were later built.
Arrival at the 2025-2026 Academic Year
By the time the 2025-2026 year opened, the accumulated policy work had produced a framework that could accommodate the new AI curriculum and the removal of second-semester centralized exams. A separate private education strategy was also announced, setting four key priorities that include AI integration, student wellbeing and national identity. The strategy supplied the overarching direction for the specific curriculum and examination changes introduced at the start of the year.
Further Refinements Applied in 2026
Once the academic year was underway, additional rules were introduced for distance learning. Schools must now run live online classes, track attendance within 120 minutes of any absence, and require cameras to remain on during lessons. At the same time the Ministry of Education updated five key digital platforms, among them the Al Manhal System and the Student Portal, to improve access to resources. These steps represent the most recent layer added to the structure that began with the 2024/25 policy rollout.
Families can review the updated platforms and the distance-learning requirements through the official Ministry and ADEK channels to confirm current expectations for the remainder of the year.