{
  "id": 11232755,
  "title": "Dubai schools allowed to change start and finish times to ease traffic congestion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/dubai-schools-allowed-to-change-start-and-finish-times-to-ease",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T15:47:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/10/01/dubai-schools-allowed-to-change-start-and-finish-times-to-ease-traffic-congestion/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dubai schools have been granted the ability to modify their start and end times to help alleviate traffic congestion, but they must first seek permission from the education regulator, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). Director General Aisha Miran explained that schools need to demonstrate that any alterations support pupil well-being and have parental support. KHDA Director General Aisha Miran stated that schools may seek flexibility and do not need to adhere to a uniform schedule across the emirate. The reasoning behind this policy is that different curricula and extracurricular activities necessitate distinct timing considerations. Miran emphasized the importance of taking student well-being into account when modifying school timings. Some Dubai schools have already implemented staggered start times to distribute traffic during the school commute. While these changes can positively impact daily journeys, Miran clarified that they alone cannot resolve the city's broader commuting issues. Long-term solutions would depend on urban planning and the strategic placement of schools. The Dubai Education Masterplan (E33) aims to bring schools closer to residential areas, enabling students to walk, cycle, or use safe scooters for their daily commute. Miran expressed her preference for children walking, biking, or riding scooters to school instead of using electric scooters. The urban plan sets a target for destinations to be reachable within 20 minutes, and school journeys should be considered part of this broader objective. Miran provided an example of providing a UK curriculum school within a specific fee range closer to the community rather than requiring students to travel for an extended period. As of now, the number of pupils attending Dubai private schools has reached approximately 406,500, marking a 4.6% increase since June.",
  "summary": "Dubai schools can change their start and finish times to ease traffic congestion, but must first obtain approval from the education regulator. They must show that any changes support the well-being of pupils and are backed by parents, said the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. Director general Aisha Miran said schools could seek flexibility and did not need to follow a single timetable…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Dubai schools allowed to change start and finish times to ease traffic congestion",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/dubai-schools-allowed-to-change-start-and-finish-times-to-ease-11242564",
        "published": "2026-10-01T15:47:43.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}