Dubai’s iconic yellow school buses rolled back onto the city streets this morning, marking the end of the month-long winter break and the start of a new academic term for many students.
Notably, more than a million pupils across the UAE are heading back to classrooms today.
The morning also witnessed traffic marshals directing people at signals outside schools to maintain smooth traffic movement.
On school campuses, the excitement was palpable. Some students laughed and snapped quick photos with friends, while others appeared a bit sleepy, lost in their own thoughts. Conversations buzzed with holiday stories — from family trips to simple festive moments like Christmas and New Year celebrations. For many, the best part of returning was just seeing their friends again after weeks apart.
While adjusting to early mornings after the holidays was a little challenging, students said the lively school environment and the chance to reconnect with teachers and classmates made the transition easier.
The winter break had been a welcome pause, and settling back into the routine required a touch of extra effort.
Year 5 student, Aakash Nandi said, “I am happy about going back to school because I can meet my classmates and my teachers again. I am also excited about starting new lessons. But what I don’t like is waking up at 6.00am. It’s still cold and dark in the mornings when I leave for school. My mother forces me to have my breakfast at 6.30am and I just don’t like it.”
“I’m a bit sleepy, but I’m excited to see my friends,” said Year 7 student Omar Al Khatib as he climbed onto the school bus. “It’s still cold outside, and I wish I could stay in bed, but I’m curious about what we’ll be learning today.”
Even older student admitted that restarting the wheel all over again required a bit of an effort.
Year 11 student, Mehreen Arfaz said, “I am a little nervous and excited to go back to school. It is an important year for me. I’ll be writing my board exams. So, for the remainder of the academic year, I’ll be focusing on my studies. I’m nervous. I know I have a lot of work to do. But I’m also excited to catch up with my friends and share everything that I did over the winter break. I also completed an internship and I’m looking forward to telling my friends about everything I did there.
© Khaleej Times
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