Abu Dhabi: New pupils wishing to enrol in public schools in the academic year 2012/2013 must apply during the registration period beginning next week, which will last for two months.

Schools will be able to take up to 20 per cent of its student population from the expatriate community if vacancies are available.

The Emirate ID card has become a must for the registration process, senior officials from the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) announced. This was highlighted during a conference discussing enrolment dates and procedures for Emirati and expatriate pupils for the upcoming 2012/2013 academic year.

Registration for schools, ranging from Kindergarten (KG) to Grade (G) 12 will begin on Sunday, January 22, and end on Thursday, March 22. Expatriate pupils may only register between March 18 to 22.

Expatriate students applying for enrolment in public schools must have grades that are over 90 per cent in Arabic, English and mathematics.

"This is the first time that the enrolment procedure is taking place in January, which is in line with ADEC's plans to provide the best possible quality of education for our pupils.

"Therefore, we are urging parents to register their children during this period to ensure that schools can adequately prepare to meet their pupil's needs in the new school year," Mohammad Salem Al Daheri, executive director of School Operations at the ADEC, said.

Procedures

"Those who do not register by the final date will not be allowed to submit an application afterwards, with exceptions provided to those working in the diplomatic corps. However, even if a pupil has registered, they must wait for a final confirmation from the school regarding their enrolment. We do not interfere with a school's decision regarding pupil acceptance," he added.

Currently, there are 268 public schools in the emirate. Pupils who are already enrolled and wish to register for the upcoming academic year must abide by current registration procedures but do not have to present an Emirates ID card at this time.

"We are trying to find a way to help parents of current pupils streamline their registration process..," Humaid Abdullah, division manager of Student Services, ADEC, said.