Why are UAE schools reporting high student absenteeism?

Abu Dhabi: In what is a matter of concern, government and private schools in Abu Dhabi have reported high student absenteeism since the beginning of this week, ahead of the second-term break.

The UAE Ministry of Education and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) have confirmed that they are closely monitoring student attendance and will impose penalties in cases that are not supported by official documentation or are found unjustified.

School administrations have implemented various educational strategies to minimise absenteeism during the remaining days of the term. They have issued circulars instructing teachers to adopt individualised lesson plans, create an engaging and enjoyable learning atmosphere, and introduce flexible class structures to maintain students’ interest and enthusiasm.

Some schools have also warned against lenient attitudes from teachers and parents who encourage absenteeism, calling for disciplinary measures and penalties.

School administrators report that many students have developed a habit of treating school days ahead of a long break or even between breaks as unofficial days off. In some schools which resign themselves to low attendance rate during such periods, lessons are even cancelled, thus indirectly encouraging group absenteeism.

To counteract this, most schools have issued official directives instructing teachers to implement innovative teaching strategies to address the anticipated mass absenteeism in the week leading up to the break, set to begin on Monday, March 17.

Schools are also working to prevent individual absences during the current week by making classes more engaging.

These directives warn that monitoring committees will be evaluating teacher performance, with potential investigations into cases where staff members fail to maintain student attendance in their classrooms.

Additionally, schools have issued formal warnings to parents, urging them not to permit their children to skip school. They stress the importance of maintaining regular attendance until the very last day of the term. Schools have reiterated that inexcusable absence—whether before or after holidays, weekends, or exams—are classified as mid-level violations under the student conduct policy.

Schools that have issued warnings to parents have emphasised their commitment to finding long-term solutions to this disciplinary issue. They aim to raise awareness and foster a more positive attitude toward education.

School officials have highlighted the risks of allowing mass absenteeism to persist before every school break, noting that it leads to significant academic losses, weakens educational outcomes, and results in both financial and educational waste. Moreover, students with an annual absenteeism rate of 10 per cent or higher are considered at risk of facing academic difficulties.

According to the Ministry of Education’s Student Conduct Policy, unjustified absence—including those before or after holidays, weekends, and exams—are classified as “mid-level violations.”

The policy states that four points will be deducted for a first-time offence, and eight points for repeated offences, alongside other disciplinary actions.

These include issuing an initial written warning, requiring students to sign a pledge not to repeat the violation, summoning parents for a meeting, and, in severe cases, temporarily suspending students for up to two days while assigning them academic tasks within the school.

ADEK has reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring student attendance and is working in collaboration with relevant authorities, including the Child Protection Centre and the Family Care Authority, to ensure students’ right to equal educational opportunities.

As part of this effort, ADEK refers cases where a student has accumulated more than 30 days of unjustified absence to the Family Care Authority, which then engages with parents and takes necessary action—regardless of the school’s internal policies on permissible absence limits