At a glance
- Curriculum owner
- UAE Ministry of Education
- Private school regulator
- ADEK
- Charter schools (2025-26)
- 37 schools, 45,753 students, American-based, not MOE
- Secondary streams
- General and Advanced, plus Elite
- Assessment
- End-of-term exams in each of three terms
Government, charter or private: which curriculum is your child on?
In Abu Dhabi a large share of Emirati children attend a school that is free but does not teach the MOE curriculum. ADEK's charter schools are publicly funded and run by private operators (Taaleem, Aldar Education, Bloom Education and New Century Education), and ADEK describes them as using American-based curricula aligned with Common Core standards. The network has grown from a single school with 1,925 students in 2018-19 to 37 schools with 45,753 students in 2025-26, in Abu Dhabi city and Al Ain.
Government schools across the emirate, from the capital to Al Ain and Al Dhafra, teach the national MOE curriculum, and so do several ADEK-licensed private schools. A student moving from a charter school into a government secondary school, or the reverse, therefore changes framework, textbooks and assessment style, which is a common moment for families to look for a tutor.
The three routes compared
| School type | Who runs it | Curriculum | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government school | The public education system | UAE MOE curriculum | Free for Emirati students |
| Charter school | Private operator under ADEK contract | American-based, Common Core aligned | Free for Emirati students |
| Private MOE school | Private owner, licensed and inspected by ADEK | UAE MOE curriculum | Fee-paying |
Find charter schools by area and grade on ADEK's charter school site. ADEK links to a school search on the TAMM portal for other schools.
What the MOE curriculum asks of a secondary student
| Feature | Detail | What it means at home |
|---|---|---|
| Streams from Grade 9 | General or Advanced, with an Elite track for high attainers | Advanced and Elite move faster in maths, physics and chemistry |
| Three terms | 2026-27 runs from 31 August 2026 to 2 July 2027 | Each term ends in a block of exams |
| End-of-term exams | Scheduled nationally by the Ministry | Revision has a deadline three times a year |
| University entry | UAE universities set their own admission requirements | Grade 12 results and subject choices matter for each target university |
Lesson times that work in Abu Dhabi
Private schools in Abu Dhabi have finished by 11:30am on Fridays since January 2026, and government schools follow the Ministry's timetable; either way, students are usually home by mid-afternoon on school days. Families in the capital often prefer a lesson after Asr prayer, between 4:30pm and 6:30pm, and Saturday mornings before an exam block. In Al Ain and Al Dhafra, where subject specialists for Advanced-stream physics or chemistry can be hard to find nearby, an online tutor removes the travel entirely.
In the 2026-27 calendar, term breaks fall from 12 to 16 October, from 14 December to 3 January, and from 5 to 11 April. The fortnight before each break is usually when end-of-term exams land, so it makes sense to add a second weekly lesson then.
What an MOE tutor does in lessons
The tutor starts from the textbook and the term's topic list, and asks for the last set of exam papers or marks. Lessons then focus on the topics that carry most marks in the coming term: algebra and functions in maths, motion and forces in physics, stoichiometry in chemistry. Advanced-stream students get more problem practice and multi-step questions; students coming from a charter school get extra work on the topics their previous framework covered differently. Lessons are taught in English, and Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects if you ask when you book.
Common questions
Do Abu Dhabi charter schools follow the MOE curriculum?
No. ADEK describes its charter schools as using American-based curricula aligned with Common Core. Government schools and some private schools teach the MOE curriculum.
My child is moving from a charter school to a government school. Can a tutor help?
Yes. The tutor compares what was covered with the MOE topics for the new grade and fills the gaps first, especially in maths and science, before the first end-of-term exams.
Do you offer lessons in Arabic?
Lessons are in English. Arabic-speaking tutors are available for some subjects, so tell us when you book if you want explanations in Arabic.
How much do MOE lessons cost in Abu Dhabi?
$15 a lesson for every subject and stream. Plans run from 1 to 5 lessons a week, billed monthly, and the first lesson is a free trial for your household.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.