Dubai: Parents, students and educators have mixed feelings towards the Ministry of Education’s decision to cancel the science and art streams in UAE public schools.

Last week, Marwan Al Sawaleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education, told Gulf News that both streams will be cancelled in four years. Instead, Marwan said there will be mandatory core subjects that all pupils will have to learn in addition to electives.

This means that they will not be able to drop science subjects, even if they plan on entering non-science related careers, which Ahmad Al Ali, an 18-year-old high school pupil, thinks is unnecessary.

“Students learn all that they need to know about these subjects during their early years of schooling, so why force people who don’t need advanced maths and science in university or at work to take these subjects?” said the student who goes to a public school in Sharjah.

Ali believes that imposing this rule on students who are weak in science and maths will only make their life difficult. “Thank God I am graduating before they implement this decision. I think it is just going to make students’ lives difficult.”

The Ministry of Education said the aim of combining the streams in the third cycle of public schools is to mould a new generation of graduates who are equipped for the job market.

The core subjects will include maths, science, Arabic, English, Islamic studies and national studies.

Jehan Khayree, a teacher at a school in Ajman, also believes that combining the streams will make it harder for students.

“There are people who do not prefer science subjects, so combining streams will pressure them during school to study these courses.”

Jehan said students take maths and science throughout primary and secondary schools, so not taking maths and science in the last two years is not going to affect their knowledge significantly, unless they plan on pursuing a science major

Emirati parent of two children, Fatima Mohammad, on the other hand supported the ministry’s decision, saying there is no harm in having good knowledge in both streams.

“I think it will benefit my children to acquire as much knowledge as possible in all subjects. You say you won’t need these subjects because you are going to major in arts or history but having general knowledge helps in real life and make you equipped to deal with whatever life throws your way,”

Emirati Yousuf Al Shaikh, who currently works in communications, welcomed the decision, adding that he wishes this requirement had been implemented when he was in school.

“I knew I wanted to study in media and communication since school so I chose to study in the art stream. I dropped advanced maths, physics, chemistry and biology. I deeply regret this because I don’t have basic knowledge about these subjects and it makes me feel self-conscious when my friends talk about science-related topics and I have no idea what they are talking about.”

Maisoon M., an instructor from the Sharjah Education Zone, also said combining the streams will benefit the students.

“Students should have good knowledge in both arts and science-related subjects to succeed in life. You can’t be successful with one without the other. I think the ministry taking a good step towards ensuring that thefuture generations have the skills required to succeed in life.”