Abu Dhabi schools mandated to maintain student records with specific data

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has mandated private schools to maintain detailed information in individual student records for at least five years after the student leaves the school.

Ideally, these records should be stored electronically, while graduation records must be retained indefinitely.

In its recently issued record-keeping policy, ADEK emphasised that creating, maintaining and updating clear, complete and accurate records are essential for schools to operate effectively. The policy is effective from the current academic year, and schools are expected to fully comply by the beginning of the 2025–2026 academic year.

Data protection

Schools are required by law to comply with data protection regulations when handling and storing records with personal data.

The new policy outlines the minimum requirements schools must meet when creating and managing student records.

Categories of information

The required information to be included in individual student records is as under:

1. Personal information (e.g., name, date of birth, gender, nationality, parent/guardian details, address, and contact information).

2. Attendance records.

3. Academic progress and achievements.

4. Extracurricular activity participation and achievements.

5. Behavioural incidents.

6. Documented learning plans, especially for students with additional educational needs.

7. Child protection cases.

8. Medical records.

9. Copies of reports containing student information, submitted to ADEK, parents, or relevant parties.

10. Other records as required by ADEK.

Medical records

The policy also requires schools to establish detailed, updated and confidential individual medical records for students in line with Department of Health standards, particularly school screening criteria.

School nurses are responsible for creating medical records for new students enrolled in kindergarten, Grade 1/Year 2, or students transferring from schools that do not provide healthcare services (e.g., students transferring from schools outside the UAE).

Furthermore, schools must grant parents access to their children’s records upon request but are prohibited from copying or removing records from the school clinic.

Schools must obtain the necessary approvals from the Department of Health and parents, as well as notify ADEK of any external requests to share student medical records. Physical education teachers and coaches must have access to students’ medical records to understand any conditions that may affect their participation in sports and to address any incidents that arise.

Penalities

ADEK warned schools that failure to comply with this policy would result in legal accountability and penalties under applicable ADEK regulations and policies, in addition to any other penalties imposed by law.