Thousands of parents across the UAE may finally have reason to relax after major clarifications to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) three-language framework eased fears of extra academic pressure on students.

The revised policy, set to take effect in the 2026–27 academic year, initially sparked concern among educators and families about how students in Grades 9 and 10 would meet the new language requirements.

What’s changing?

Under the updated structure, students entering Grade 9 from July 2026 will study three languages classified as:

• R1
• R2
• R3

The move is part of reforms linked to India’s National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023.

Why UAE schools feel relieved

According to UAE-based educators, CBSE has allowed overseas schools greater flexibility in implementing the system.

• R1 can be English
• R2 can be Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, or Tamil
• R3 can be Arabic for UAE students
  

Importantly, R3 will not be board-examined, reducing stress for students. Only R1 and R2 will count toward Grade 10 board evaluations, while R3 will appear through internal assessment.

Earlier concerns had parents worried

One of the biggest fears was that students, especially non-Indian nationals studying in CBSE schools, might be forced to learn two Indian languages.

The recent clarifications have eased those concerns significantly, particularly for international schools and students of determination.

While schools say Arabic at R3 is manageable, some institutions are still worried about foreign-language offerings like French.

Full refund after re-evaluation

Meanwhile, in a major relief for thousands of Indian curriculum students across the UAE, CBSE has announced that Grade 12 students will receive a full refund if their marks increase after re-evaluation. The move comes as a student-friendly response following a wave of concerns shared by students on social media, many of whom felt their initial grades were lower than expected due to the board’s newly introduced On-Screen Marking (OSM) system.

The UAE has introduced a major digital upgrade for parents and students, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sharjah Private Education Authority launching a new system that allows academic certificates to be issued and attested online in just minutes.

Activated through the Dalil platform, the service combines certificate issuance and attestation into one streamlined digital process, removing the need for families to navigate multiple platforms or complete separate applications.

Officials said the move is part of the UAE’s wider Zero Government Bureaucracy Programme, designed to simplify services, reduce paperwork and create a better, more user-friendly digital experience.

Previously, parents often needed to complete up to three separate procedures involving schools, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UAE missions abroad. Under the new integrated system, the entire process can now reportedly be completed in around three minutes instead of taking up to six working days.

The platform allows users to issue academic certificates through SPEA while simultaneously obtaining attestations from MoA and the relevant UAE mission in the destination country through one unified digital window.

Officials described the initiative as another step towards building a fully connected digital government ecosystem focused on convenience, efficiency, and smarter public services.

The new service is expected to particularly benefit families applying for university admissions, overseas transfers, and official educational documentation both inside and outside the UAE.

Why is certificate attestation needed?

School certificate attestation is the official process of verifying and certifying the authenticity of a student’s educational documents. This ensures that academic records and other important certificates are legally recognised by authorities in the UAE.

The process is often required for several key purposes, including school admissions, university applications, student visa procedures and confirming the validity of educational qualifications for use inside the country.

Abu Dhabi Investment Office and Abu Dhabi Projects and Infrastructure Centre have announced a massive new wave of infrastructure projects worth Dh55 billion across Abu Dhabi.

The projects, scheduled across 2026 and 2027, will introduce new roads, schools, healthcare centres, flood control systems and community facilities as the capital continues its rapid expansion.

Dh35 billion allocated to roads and transport

The biggest share of the investment is going into transport infrastructure, with around Dh35 billion earmarked for 11 major road developments.

Plans include:

• More than 300km of new roads
• Upgrades to tunnels and intersections
• Expanded traffic networks across the emirate
• Improved connectivity to key residential and commercial areas

For residents navigating heavy traffic around areas such as Yas Island and central Abu Dhabi, the upgrades are expected to ease congestion and improve travel times.

New schools, healthcare and sports facilities planned

The remaining Dh9 billion will focus on social infrastructure projects aimed at improving daily life for residents.

The plans include:

• New schools and universities
• Specialised healthcare centres
• Sports and recreational facilities
• Community-focused infrastructure developments

Officials said several earlier public-private partnership projects in Abu Dhabi, including Zayed City Schools and the emirate’s LED road lighting programme, have already received regional industry recognition.

Flood control and drainage systems upgrade

Another Dh11 billion will be invested into water infrastructure projects, including:

• Stormwater drainage systems
• Flood prevention networks
• Water storage facilities
• New dams and flood control infrastructure

The move comes after severe weather and flooding events across the UAE over the past year pushed drainage and climate resilience higher up the national agenda.

The latest announcement signals Abu Dhabi’s continued push to modernise infrastructure, support population growth and strengthen quality of life across the emirate.