UAE school admission age revised: Educators react

UAE school admission age revised: Educators react

Parents and educators have welcomed the changes made by education authorities to the minimum age for admissions of school students, but these amendments haven't come without concerns for all stakeholders.

The age requirements will change for new students enrolling in FS1, FS2, Year 1 and Year 2 (Pre-KG, KG1 and Grade 1 respectively), according to the UAE's MoE, resolution no. (24).

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

The cut-off age for Pre-KG or Foundation Stage 1 should be 3 years by August 31, 2021 as opposed to the earlier deadline of December 31.

Dr Allan Weston, Principal, Greenfield International School, said: “One of the most important components is getting accurate information out to our parent community. We have done this via social media and also by emailing our primary school parents who are most likely the ones to have younger children.”

To accommodate the change, some schools will also add a new class to these learning years.

“We also have a number of prospective parents who were looking for placements in September. They have now opted for Term