Minister :62% favour three-term school system in UAE

Dr Mohammad Musallam Bin Ham, a Federal National Council (FNC) representative from Abu Dhabi, voiced concerns on whether the current three-term academic year gels with a Ministry of Education's strategy to upgrade the sector. Bin Ham voiced concern over the poor performance of students in both science and literature, as compared to the previous year which had two terms. Under the three-term system, there are 180 school days and two vacations per academic year. The school calendar is also set for three years. Bin Ham sought an explanation from Humaid Mohammad Obaid Al Qutami, Minister of Education, on the impact of the three-term system on schooling. Article continues below He questioned the merits of the new system, which was implemented across all government and private schools in the 2010-11 academic year. Research-driven The minister told the Federal National Council that a decision on the three-term system had been taken following research carried out by specialised teams. Al Qutami said the ministry evaluated the three-term system in comparison to other schedules, with a clear set of goals in mind. "Polls of parents and teachers showed 62 per cent of respondents were supportive of the plan, while 31 were opposed to it. The remaining 7 per cent of respondents were not decisive," the minister said. Al Qutami said although the system showed positive results, the ministry was open to any remarks, which he promised would be taken into account.