UAE private schools admission age changed – ministry

The UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) has changed the admission age for new students enrolling in FS1 or Pre-KG in private schools across the country.

Therefore, children enrolling in FS1 or Pre-KG in schools starting in September must be three years old on or before August 31 of that year. Children enrolling in Pre-KG in schools starting in April must be three years old on or before March 31 of that year.

Meanwhile, children enrolling in FS2 or KG1 must be four years old on or before August 31 for schools starting in September. Children enrolling in KG1 in schools starting in April must be four years old on or before March 31.

Similarly, children enrolling in Year 1 or KG2 must be five years old on or before August 31 for schools starting in September. Children enrolling in KG2 in schools starting in April must be five years old on or before March 31.

Your kids may be affected by the change in age requirements if they’re starting school next year. Check our FAQs for more info on the MoE’s resolution for all schools in the UAE: https://t.co/ZxK1Cou1SW pic.twitter.com/qVblpN1hm8

— KHDA (@KHDA) February 23, 2021

The MoE resolution stipulates that all students currently enrolled at private schools in the UAE are not affected by the change. This includes students who enrol for the final term of the 2020/21 academic year.

For schools that start in September, this change will be applicable from the start of the 2021/22 academic year in September 2021.

For schools that start in April, this change will be applicable from the start of the 2022/23 academic year in April 2022.

According to the Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the decision was made to bring more consistency to the cut-off dates used by schools in the UAE with those used by schools abroad. For example, UK schools in the UAE will now have the same cut-off date as schools in the UK, and international British schools, it noted on its website.

The new changes will impact children up to six years old who are enrolling in school for the first time.

It will apply to new students enrolling in FS1, FS2, Year 1 and Year 2 (Pre-KG, KG1, KG2 and Grade 1 respectively) in all schools in the UAE, as stipulated in the MoE resolution.

The KHDA said that the parents whose children are affected by the new cut-off dates and who have already paid deposits for their children’s enrolment are entitled to a refund if they wish.