UAE: Parents of underperforming students must sign support pledge under new directive

Abu Dhabi: In a new move to raise academic standards, parents of students with poor academic performance are now required to attend meetings with school officials and sign a formal declaration pledging their support.

The Ministry of Education’s directive targets students receiving grades of D and F, encouraging greater parental involvement in efforts to improve student outcomes.

Most schools have already begun scheduling individual meetings between academic staff and the parents of struggling students. These discussions aim to assess each pupil’s situation and agree on tailored support plans, particularly during the crucial third academic term.

As part of the initiative, parents must sign a document titled “Message to the Parent”, acknowledging awareness of their child’s academic status and committing to work closely with the school to provide necessary support. The directive follows a ministry-wide push to narrow learning gaps and ensure all students meet the minimum success criteria, set at 60% for pupils in Years 9 to 12 (Cycle 3).

Schools, in turn, are obligated to develop personalised remedial plans and educational programmes to strengthen core skills and offer students meaningful opportunities to improve.

According to the general assessment standards and grading weights for Cycle 3 (Years 9–12), a passing grade is set at a minimum of 60%. Maintaining a grade range between A and C is considered an indicator of academic safety, while students receiving a D grade fall into the at-risk category. The narrow margin between a D and an F—often just one or two percentage points—necessitates urgent intervention to support this group before the educational gap widens.

Education experts have highlighted several reasons behind students’ academic decline, ranging from personal to social factors. In many cases, the root causes are internal to the student. These include:

•     Weak intellectual and learning abilities.

•     Lack of effort and engagement in the learning process.

•     Association with peers who are academically behind.

•     Choosing academic streams that are misaligned with the student’s capabilities and interests.

•     Poor attendance and lack of commitment to classes and lectures.

Educational specialists have proposed the creation of dedicated committees to detect “learning difficulties” among students. Early diagnosis is key to effectively addressing academic weaknesses, delays, and low performance, while also preventing the emergence of undesirable behaviours.

Additionally, the heavy and overcrowded curriculum is cited as a contributing factor to ongoing academic struggles for some students. The overloaded content limits teachers’ ability to focus on students with learning difficulties within their classrooms.