Dubai’s private schools will not face official inspections during the 2025–26 academic year, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has announced.

The decision applies to all private schools in the emirate, except those in their third year of operation, which will still go through a full inspection.

KHDA said the move is part of a new approach to improving education, allowing schools to focus more on collaboration, reflection, and ongoing development.

While there won’t be full inspections, targeted visits will continue. These will focus on specific areas related to education quality and will be guided by feedback from parents, students, and teachers, as well as the goals of the Education 33 strategy.

“Dubai’s private schools have shown great resilience, innovation, and care for students,” said Fatma Ibrahim Belrehif, CEO of the Education Quality Assurance and Compliance Agency at KHDA.

“This break from inspections gives us a chance to rethink how we define and support quality education.”

Schools will still be required to carry out external benchmark assessments to measure student progress. They will also continue submitting regular updates through their self-evaluation forms (SEF).

KHDA said these steps will help ensure that education remains high-quality and aligned with national goals, even without formal inspections for a year.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced the Grade 10 results on Tuesday, just hours after the Class 12 scores were released.

Students can check their results on the following official websites: cbse.gov.in, cbseresults.nic.in, and results.cbse.nic.in.

This year, Grade 10 students achieved a pass rate of 93.6%, marking a slight increase of 0.06% compared to last year. As with the Grade 12 results, girls outperformed boys by more than 2.37 percentage points, with 95% of girls passing the exam, according to reports.

For the 2024-25 academic year, CBSE has introduced changes in the assessment and evaluation pattern for both Grade 10 and Grade 12. The new system places more emphasis on competency-based questions in the theory exams.

This year, more than 4.4 million students appeared for the CBSE exams, with approximately 2.41 million students in Class 10 and 1.79 million in Class 12.

In terms of overall performance, the pass percentage stands at 88.39%, a modest increase from last year.

Exam controller Sanyam Bhardwaj noted that girls outshone boys by over 5 percentage points in the CBSE Class 12 exams, according to Indian media reports.

Public and private schools across Abu Dhabi have begun strictly enforcing a complete ban on mobile phones, smartwatches, and other electronic devices on school premises, citing student safety, discipline, and privacy concerns.

The move aligns with Ministerial Resolution No. 851 of 2018 on Student Behaviour Management Regulations and is described by school authorities as “final and non-negotiable.” Devices found in students’ possession will be confiscated, with return only at the end of the term, or later in repeat cases.

Parents and Students Must Sign Pledge

To reinforce the policy, schools are requiring both parents and students to sign an official pledge agreeing not to bring smart devices to school. Disciplinary action will apply without exception, administrators confirmed.

What’s Banned and What Happens if You Break the Rules

• Banned Devices: Mobile phones, smartwatches, gaming devices, and cameras (unless approved in advance)
• First Offence: Phone confiscated for one month
• Repeated Offences: Confiscation until the academic year ends
• If Photos/Videos Are Found: The Case is referred to the Child Protection Unit

Parents will also be required to sign official Form 24 upon confiscation and Form 25 upon return of the device.

Why the Ban?

In circulars to parents, schools cited the psychological impact of phone addiction, including mood changes, reduced attention, and social isolation. They also pointed to issues such as:

• Disruption of the learning process
• Negative impact on academic performance
• Increased risk of bullying
• Violation of others’ privacy

Schools are encouraging students to use laptops or tablets for educational purposes instead, and have advised students to record key login details for academic portals in notebooks, eliminating the need for phones.

Penalties and Parent Involvement

In addition to device confiscation, penalties for violating the rule may include:

• Exclusion from extracurricular activities
• Ineligibility for school trips

Parents are also urged to support these efforts by encouraging positive behaviour, attending awareness sessions, and reinforcing school values at home.

School leaders say these measures are part of broader efforts to build a disciplined, distraction-free learning environment that supports academic success and student well-being.