Across the United Arab Emirates, a growing educational concern is emerging as children transition directly from classroom instruction to a relentless cycle of co-curricular engagements. This phenomenon sees students rushing to tennis practices, music lessons, swimming sessions, and language classes with minimal downtime in between.
Educational institutions frequently promote these supplemental activities, whether included in standard tuition fees or offered as premium additions, while many parents independently arrange external programs. The central debate has evolved beyond questioning the value of such engagements to examining whether contemporary schedules adequately preserve essential childhood experiences—including unstructured rest, creative imagination, and spontaneous play.
Parental perspectives vary significantly regarding activity management. Dubai resident Arijit Nandi advocates for his 9-year-old son’s intensive regimen—featuring pre-dawn tennis, midweek swimming, weekend guitar, and additional academic coaching—as a purposeful strategy for energy channeling and digital detoxification. He emphasizes his child’s genuine enjoyment and regular fatigue assessments.
Conversely, Japanese expatriate Kenji Takahashi adopts a more measured approach for his 10-year-old daughter, balancing piano, karate, and art with protected downtime for bicycle riding and social play. His philosophy centers on energy guidance rather than control, ensuring activities serve developmental purpose rather than mere scheduling saturation.
Educational specialists identify concerning trends beneath these well-intentioned arrangements. Girish Hemnani, a Dubai-based life coach, observes that families and institutions are unconsciously perpetuating a productivity race that creates an ‘illusion of productivity’ while depriving children of neurological development opportunities. He explains that boredom activates the brain’s Default Mode Network, which facilitates imagination and self-reflection—processes compromised by constant scheduling.
Research indicates that free play fundamentally develops executive functioning, including planning capabilities, self-regulation, and initiative-taking. Hemnani further warns that overscheduled children risk losing spontaneity and personal agency, particularly when parents normalize ‘hustle culture’ due to their own professional pressures and digital consumption habits.
School leadership is responding to these concerns with revised approaches. Natalia Svetenok, Principal of Woodlem British School in Ajman, states unequivocally that ‘a tired child cannot thrive,’ advocating for activities that generate joy rather than pressure. Similarly, The Aquila School’s Principal Wayne Howsen emphasizes that co-curricular activities must stem from genuine student interest rather than functioning as extended childcare, noting that choice-driven participation builds teamwork, problem-solving, and multilingual skills more effectively.
The emerging consensus among UAE educators and parents suggests a paradigm shift toward balanced scheduling that honors both structured development and essential childhood experiences.
