Dubai: Every parent wants to make sure their child receives the best education possible for a secure and promising future. If you are a parent in Abu Dhabi and are enrolling your child in a private school in the emirate, there are a few details and requirements you need to be aware of to make sure your child and you are well-prepared for the big decision.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), which manages and operates private schools in the emirate, has released guidelines parents should take into account when applying at any private school in the emirate.
6 enrolment requirements
In its advisory for parents, ADEK provides the following details that parents need to take into account when applying at a private school in Abu Dhabi:
1. All students are entitled to apply in any private school regardless of their race, ethnicity or gender.
2. Prospective parents or guardians are allowed to visit the school prior to registration.
3. Schools shall re-register current students for the following school year if the parent or guardian so wishes, unless there is a behavioural problem that justifies refusal.
4. Schools shall admit students with chronic health conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, congenital heart disease, epilepsy and obesity) and must offer appropriate support as per the student’s needs.
5. Schools must admit students into their kindergarten stage (KG1 or KG2) without requiring the students to sit for any form of tests or interviews.
6. Schools may conduct an interview with a student during the mandatory education stage (from first grade until 12th grade). Schools may also require the student to take certain placement tests to give an indication of their performance level to be able to provide proper learning support and not for the purpose of accepting or rejecting a student.
Documents required to register your child
These are the required documents for registration at a private school in Abu Dhabi:
• A completed registration form containing the contact details of the parents or guardians and the student’s details such as their full name in both Arabic and English, date and place of birth, nationality and address.
• Emirates ID card.
• Vaccination card or medical record.
• Academic reports for previous years (in case of students transferring from another school within the UAE or from abroad).
• Documents pertaining to individual education plans and relevant assessments, as well as evidence pertaining to gifted and talented students.
• Any additional documents deemed necessary by the school.
2. Bangladesh Curriculum
3. British Curriculum
4. Canadian Curriculum
5. French Curriculum
6. German Curriculum
7. International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum
8. Indian Curriculum
9. Japanese Curriculum
10. Pakistani Curriculum
11. Philippines Curriculum
12. SABIS Curriculum
13. Spanish Curriculum
14. United Arab Emirates - MOE Curriculum
Source: adek.gov.ae
How to find private schools and tuition fees in Abu Dhabi
There are over 200 private schools in the emirate, and finding a school that fits all your needs can be an overwhelming task.
To make the process easier, you can use an online search tool called, ‘school finder’ available on the ‘TAMM’ platform, which is the emirate’s official online portal for government services, here - www.tamm.abudhabi/wb/get-education/schools?lang=en.
Simply visit the website and filter your search according to the school’s rating, grades its offers, annual fees and curriculum.
