UAE Clarifies Age Cutoff For School Admission, 'One-Time Measure' For Some Pupils

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

They also added that once a student is enrolled in a grade, they may not be transferred to another grade later

• PUBLISHED: Thu 12 Feb 2026, 11:10 PM

• By:
• Meher Dhanjal

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After parents across the UAE sought clarity on the new age cutoffs for school admission, the Ministry of Education on Thursday issued an update.

The authority said that children who are not enrolled in any educational system and were born between September 1 and December 31, 2022, will be subject to a one-time measure during the 2026-2027 academic year.

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"Schools and parents may jointly decide whether FS1 or FS2 is the most suitable placement," the ministry said, after some parents raised concerns regarding their children having to skip a grade.

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"If the child is not found ready, they may be enrolled in FS1 in the following academic year." It also added that once a student is enrolled in a grade, they may not be transferred to another grade later.

In December, the authority announced a new age cut-off for school admissions to kindergarten and Grade 1 for the academic year 2026–2027. Previously, the cut-off was August 31.

The new rule is set to apply to all schools and kindergartens that start in August or September. Schools starting in April will continue using March 31 as the cut-off. Current students are not affected; the policy applies only to new admissions.

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