I can’t be the only parent to notice the mass-emptying out of schools across the UAE this week.
It’s obvious at drop-off when some classes are now almost half their size; noticeable in the fewer cars idling at the school gates at pick-up; and apparent in the empty chairs at the end-of-year assemblies.
Is it the end of term, already?
Well, no, actually it isn’t, although you’d be forgiven for thinking the academic year was done and dusted, judging by the number of parents and children who have already clocked off and checked out.
A brief scroll through the frankly ridiculous number of school WhatsApp group chats I’m in (10, at last count, for my three children), revealed that it comes as quite a surprise to many parents that the school term doesn’t end simply because they or their children are bored, too hot or simply “over it”, as one mother put it to me last week.
If my household gave things up based on how “over it” my children were, we would have long banished homework, broccoli, piano practice, football, reading, teeth-cleaning and going to bed (though, thankfully, not Bluey, which is a relief because I do enjoy that show).
For some parents, the recent Eid Al Adha coming as close as it did this year to the end of term, signalled the end of the school year. When the long Eid break finished, there were still a full two and a half weeks before term actually finished, but many parents didn’t return, either to the UAE or their children to school.
“It’s too hot,” is one frequent reply I hear from parents who take their children out of school early.
Well, it gets hot every year, and this year it’s been pretty warm since May, so perhaps we should just end the term then? April can also sometimes get a little toasty; maybe we should do away with schooling during the hotter months altogether.
Let’s see, that would mean school from November to April (not factoring in the mid-term and Christmas breaks), and the creation of one giant summer holiday from May to October like some Pangaea supercontinent of academia. Someone book me in for a loan appointment at the bank to cover the summer camp fees.
Flights are another favourite argument for leaving before term has finished.
“We want to leave before the end-of-term chaos at the airport,” I’m told by mums and dads who’ve had their suitcases packed since mid-April. To which I have a somewhat controversial answer: "You know you don’t have to leave on the Friday, Saturday or Sunday immediately after term ends, right?"
In fact, I hear there are flights out of the UAE to thousands of global destinations on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday after. And the days after that, meaning you can jet off without sacrificing any educational time.
Of course, it’s down to individual parenting style as to how relaxed you are about your child’s schooling.
I, for example, am a parent who will wring every single last fil out of the education that I spend a lot of money on. School extracurricular activities? Sign me up for every single one of them. School uniforms? Cared for (and patched up) well enough to be handed down from eldest to youngest to minimise additional expenditure. The school day? I’m at the gate ready for it to open at exactly 7.15am and not a fraction before 3pm to collect them.
Why do I care what other parents do, you ask? Well, generally speaking, I don’t. Your child’s education is your responsibility and I have enough on my plate (those 10 school chats, remember?) to be worrying about other children’s GSCE results.
However, when the early leavers start congregating on the group chats to complain that school events are not being tailored around their decision to leave before the end of term, then it inadvertently becomes my business.
Here are some of the real-life messages from my chats from parents annoyed that school term doesn’t end when they feel like it should.
“Let’s ask the school to put the graduation ceremony in June before everybody leaves for travel. Why do they schedule it for the last days?” Hmm, a tricky one. Perhaps because school is open until July and the world doesn’t revolve around your holiday plans?
“We are travelling back home for Eid and not returning. The ceremony should be earlier so everyone can attend.” Here’s the thing about graduations, they mark the end of the academic year, hence they are held at the end of the term.
“We are sad we are going to miss the farewell party.” Well, that's your choice, surely.
“It’s only the end of year; the kids don’t do anything anyway.” This is another favourite justification of the early school leaver. Admittedly, yes, the last two or three days of the summer term are when things wind down and the children can relax and enjoy an in-class movie day or party. But – although it’s been quite a few years since I was a student – I still haven’t forgotten how much fun these days were.
That delicious feeling of things ending and new beginnings is one you remember well into adulthood, making the end of term as important and memorable a part of the school experience as homework and friendships formed.
Having said all that, ultimately my biggest question to early-leaver parents is the one that puzzles me the most: isn't the eight-week summer holiday long enough for you?
SPECS
Toyota land Cruiser 2020 5.7L VXR
Engine: 5.7-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 362hp
Torque: 530Nm
Price: Dh329,000 (base model 4.0L EXR Dh215,900)
Profile box
Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Visit Abu Dhabi culinary team's top Emirati restaurants in Abu Dhabi
Yadoo’s House Restaurant & Cafe
For the karak and Yoodo's house platter with includes eggs, balaleet, khamir and chebab bread.
Golden Dallah
For the cappuccino, luqaimat and aseeda.
Al Mrzab Restaurant
For the shrimp murabian and Kuwaiti options including Kuwaiti machboos with kebab and spicy sauce.
Al Derwaza
For the fish hubul, regag bread, biryani and special seafood soup.
