The UAE Ministry of Education has issued a new decision regarding student admissions to schools starting from the new academic year, emphasizing that age alone does not guarantee admission.

In its official statement, the Ministry announced amendments to the age requirements for kindergarten and first grade, effective from the 2026-2027 academic year.

Based on the officially adopted new regulations, the maximum age limit for school admission has been changed from August 31st to December 31st of the admission year.

The new admission date will apply to all public and private schools, nurseries, and early childhood centers. This means that children must be three years old by December 31st for pre-kindergarten/first grade, four years old for kindergarten/second grade, five years old for kindergarten/first grade, and six years old for first/second grade.

The Ministry also clarified that children who were ineligible for the 2025-2026 academic year will have the option to enroll in either KG1 or KG2 for the 2026-2027 academic year. This came in an official response from the Ministry regarding how the decision would affect children who were previously ineligible due to their birth dates falling between September 1 and December 31, 2021.

However, the Ministry emphasized that "placement decisions for private schools will be based on the school's assessment of the child's readiness and the availability of places."

Some of the UAE's top school groups, speaking to Gulf News, confirmed that admission decisions will be multifaceted, taking into account factors that go far beyond chronological age.

She also clarified that the appropriate grade level for a student will be determined based on their last successfully completed grade and their level of academic progress, in accordance with approved curriculum equivalency procedures. This applies to cases of student transfers between schools, between different curricula (such as British, American, or other international curricula), or when students arrive from outside the country.

This update is based on extensive national and international research on child readiness for early childhood education, encompassing key developmental aspects such as cognitive abilities, social and emotional skills, language, and motor skills. The analyses showed that a child's school readiness depends on a comprehensive set of developmental indicators, not solely on chronological age.

The review also included an analysis of a national database of over 39,000 students who entered school at age three, four, or five under the previous system. The academic performance data showed no significant negative impact of minor age differences on academic achievement or behavioral development in supportive learning environments.