Grade discrepancies prompt official review of Abu Dhabi school records

Abu Dhabi: As part of its ongoing commitment to academic integrity, fairness, and transparency, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) launched Phase One of a comprehensive review targeting grade inflation and inconsistencies in academic records across a number of private schools in the emirate, to ensure they are an accurate reflection of their learning experience and quality.

This initiative is part of ADEK's role as an education regulator to ensure that students are assessed fairly and consistently. It aims to ensure that each graduate earns their credentials through genuine academic achievement. The initiative seeks to prevent unfair practices that can lead to unreliable outcomes or inflated school rankings and to create equitable opportunities for all students throughout the emirate.

Under Phase One, schools must submit Grade 12 academic records for review, including high school transcripts, assessment policies, grading frameworks, graduation requirement documentation, marked assessment samples, and a full record of all types of student assessments (diagnostic, formative, and summative). Currently, 12 schools are temporarily barred from enrolling Grades 11 and 12 students until compliance issues are resolved and corrective actions are in place.

Grade inflation misrepresents student learning, undermines trust in the education system, and limits fair academic competition. This review aims to identify patterns of grade inflation, inconsistencies in awarding credits, and gaps between reported grades and actual performance and learning quality.

Future phases will extend to include Grades 9 through 11 and will involve a comprehensive analysis of internal grades compared to external benchmark exams. ADEK will also perform trend analyses to identify systemic issues at the school level.

These efforts are part of a larger regulatory reform aimed at ensuring that academic achievements are credible, legitimately earned, and based on consistent and rigorous evaluation. This is essential for protecting the integrity of student qualifications, which are crucial for university admissions and future career readiness.

This review was prompted by ADEK's quality assurance systems, which identified discrepancies between internal grades and external benchmark exams. Its purpose is to ensure that awarded credits are in line with approved graduation pathways. Schools that fail to meet the required standards may face administrative escalation or be subject to mandatory corrective measures in accordance with ADEK policy.

At its core, this process is about reinforcing parents’ confidence in the quality of education their children receive. ADEK remains committed to transparent, robust regulatory practices that uphold and protect that trust.