Abu Dhabi's education regulator has expanded its crackdown on 12 private schools after finding internal grades were significantly higher than results from external assessments and international benchmarks, raising concerns of grade inflation. The review will now extend to Grades 9–11.

In an unprecedented move, last month, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) temporarily barred certain private schools in the emirate from enrolling student in Grades 11 and 12 due to grade inflation.

ADEK underlined that this initiative, which marks the first phase of ADEK's compliance drive, was triggered by routine quality assurance checks detecting worrying discrepancies between internal grades and external standards.

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The names of the schools have been withheld in the larger interest of all stakeholders, Mubarak Hamad Al Mheiri, Undersecretary of ADEK, said in an interview with Khaleej Times.

“ADEK regularly conducts quality assurance checks to evaluate and safeguard academic standards across Abu Dhabi's private schools. We observed school grade patterns that were significantly higher than results from external assessments and international benchmarks. This prompted further analysis to identify what caused these inconsistencies.”

Grade inflation refers to the pattern of student grades increasing over time without a matching improvement in actual learning or achievement. When marks rise without reflecting genuine academic progress, they lose their credibility.

This weakens the value of grades as an accurate indicator of performance, making it more difficult for parents, educators, and college admissions officers to gauge student abilities, distribute resources appropriately, or ensure accountability.

Following the release of the initial story, when KT reached out to institutions across the country, educational leaders at compliant schools stressed that they had already fortified their internal moderation systems.

Some institutions now even cross-reference their predicted grades with external assessments like NGRT, Progress Tests, and Cambridge Checkpoint to ensure fairness and accuracy.

ADEK reiterated that the clampdown will spread further. Al Mheiri said,“Phase two of the initiative will expand the review to include Grades 9 through 11. Schools will be required to submit internal grade data for comparison against external benchmarks and assessment results. This phase will also involve trend analysis to detect systemic issues early.”

He added, "Our goal is to ensure consistency and accuracy in assessment practices, not to penalise, but to support continuous improvement across the sector.”

Meanwhile, the education body emphasised that students currently enrolled in Grades 11 and 12 are not adversely affected by the enrollment restrictions, which apply only to new admissions.

Al Mheiri added,“ADEK remains fully committed to supporting students at critical academic stages. Schools are being guided through necessary improvements without disrupting teaching and learning.”

“The ADEK School Policies set clear expectations on how schools should plan and deliver the curriculum, assess student learning, and support students in preparing for post-secondary pathways, ensuring that outcomes reflect actual learning and are backed by strong internal systems. In parallel, ongoing compliance checks are conducted to monitor school practices, provide guidance and support to schools, ensuring academic integrity and stronger practices across the sector.”

He also pointed out that ADEK's approach is collaborative, and the priority remains to maintain a stable, high-quality academic environment while helping schools“align with best practices and uphold their educational reputation”.

“That is why we are working closely with school leadership teams through a collaborative, solution-driven approach. Each school received a detailed compliance report highlighting required improvements, and timelines have been clearly communicated. Support is also provided through technical guidance, professional development, and open communication channels to ensure that corrective actions are implemented effectively and without disrupting students' learning experiences,” added Al Mheiri.

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