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?
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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Asia Cup 2018 final
Who: India v Bangladesh
When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium
Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD
Scorebox
Dubai Hurricanes 31 Dubai Sports City Eagles 22
Hurricanes
Tries: Finck, Powell, Jordan, Roderick, Heathcote
Cons: Tredray 2, Powell
Eagles
Tries: O’Driscoll 2, Ives
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey
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The specs
A4 35 TFSI
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder
Transmission: seven-speed S-tronic automatic
Power: 150bhp
Torque: 270Nm
Price: Dh150,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
A4 S4 TDI
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel
Transmission: eight-speed PDK automatic
Power: 350bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh165,000 (estimate)
On sale: First Q 2020
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
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Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
COPA DEL REY
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
England Test squad
Ben Stokes (captain), Joe Root, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
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NBA FINALS SO FAR
(Toronto lead 3-2 in best-of-seven series)
Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109
Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109
Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123
Game 4 Warriors 92 Raptors 105
Game 5 Raptors 105 Warriors 106
Game 6 Thursday, at Oakland
Game 7 Sunday, at Toronto (if needed)
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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Results
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
