How three-day weekend is helping Sharjah students

SPEA survey finds improvements in academic performance, productivity, mental health

Sharjah: The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) recently completed a study to evaluate the impact of the government of Sharjah’s decision to implement a four-day working week and a three-day weekend. The study was conducted with the assistance of 31,198 families of students from 70 different nationalities, 7,000 teachers and administrators, and 127 schools.

SPEA Chairperson Dr Muhadithah Al Hashemi said the study revealed significant improvements in indicators of academic achievement, productivity, and mental well-being.

Key findings

SPEA Director Ali Al Hosani said the research indicated a 77 per cent increase in academic achievement among students and a 78 per cent increase in social skills and interactions among the pupils. The study also found that the change in school hours was in line with the global standard.

Additionally, the research showed a 74 per cent increase in students’ problem-solving abilities, a 73 per cent increase in their time management skills, a 78 per cent increase in students’ academic performance on given assignments, and an 88 per cent increase in students’ capacity for spending quality time with their families.

The Sharjah Executive Council also conducted research on implementing the four-day workweek across the emirate and found that the new work system had a significant beneficial impact on several indicators and factors related to the work environment and employee productivity.