Back-to-school rush: Are UAE parents packing too much into the final weeks of summer?

As UAE schools prepare to reopen after the long summer break, educators and psychologists are warning parents against turning the final days of the holidays into a last-minute cram session.

Across some families, the countdown to school has become a race to finish holiday homework, catch up on tuition, restart extracurricular activities and reset sleep routines — often while children are still recovering from weeks of travel or a slower summer schedule.

For working parents preparing to return to their own routines, the pressure can be even greater. Reading, revision, tuition assignments and missed sports or music practice can quickly pile up, leaving little time for children to simply rest before school begins.

Experts say that may be counterproductive: a child who returns to school rested and emotionally ready could be better prepared for the demands of the new academic year than one who spends the final days of summer trying to complete an overloaded checklist.

Khaleej Times spoke to parents, school leaders and psychologists about the back-to-school rush and how much preparation is actually enough.

For Moldovan mother Elena Rusu, whose son is in Year 6 at a Dubai school, the return from a month-long holiday has brought a familiar back-to-school dilemma: unfinished work and very little time.

Her son barely touched his tuition homework before the family left, and now needs to catch up — just as Rusu prepares to return to work. English grammar, in particular, requires her help, adding to the pressure.

The academic catch-up is only part of the equation. Her son’s early-morning tennis classes are resuming, while guitar lessons begin next week.

“He’s also realised he hasn’t practised much over the summer, while a lot of the homework from his tuition teacher is still unfinished. Suddenly, there’s a lot to squeeze into these last few days before school starts.”

Indian expat Neha Bhagwat is facing a similar balancing act with her older child, who is in Grade 10. For her, the final weeks are particularly important because her son is entering the senior years of school.

“Last few weeks before school begins are always a challenge because there is so much to get done,” she said. “My older one is in Grade 10, and he has quite a bit of reading and revision to complete, along with his holiday homework.”

But Bhagwat is also conscious that children need a break. Even when work is not compulsory, she believes the senior school years make it important for her son to stay engaged academically.

“At the same time, we’re trying to make sure he gets some downtime before the routine starts again,” she said.

That tension — between making productive use of the final days and allowing children to genuinely switch off — is familiar to many parents.

Natalia Svetenok, Principal of Woodlem British School, Ajman, said parents should resist turning the final days of summer into an extension of the classroom.