Dubai: The process of sending your child off to school for the first time is an exciting as well as nerve-wracking time for parents. During this crucial period, one of the main questions that might be on your mind is at which age should you enroll your child in kindergarten or grade school in the UAE.
All schools in the UAE follow age requirements stipulated by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Resolution No. 24, which came into effect in 2021.
Depending on the school’s curriculum and when the academic year starts, the age limit for enrolment varies. Here is a breakdown.
What is the minimum age?
For pre-kindergarten:
For schools starting in September - children enrolling in FS1 or Pre-KG must be three years old on or before August 31.
For schools starting in April - Children enrolling in Pre-KG must be three years old on or before March 31.
For kindergarten:
For schools starting in September:
• Children enrolling in FS2 or KG1 must be four years old on or before August 31.
• Children enrolling in Year 1 or KG2 must be five years old on or before August 31.
For schools starting in April:
• Children enrolling in KG1 must be four years old on or before March 31.
• Children enrolling in KG2 must be five years old on or before March 31.
For primary or elementary school:
• For schools starting in September – children enrolling in Grade one or Year 2 must be six years old by August 31.
• For schools starting in April – children enrolling in Grade one must be six years old by March 31.
Age calculators for UAE schools
To make things easier for parents during the school admissions process, most private schools in the UAE have an online age calculator on their official websites.
Parents must enter the child’s date of birth and the academic year. Based on those details, you will be provided with the eligible grade or year group for your child.
