The Education, Human Development and Community Development Council has approved a change to the student age cut-off date for Kindergarten and Grade 1 admissions across the UAE.
From the 2026–2027 academic year, the age cut-off will move to December 31 of the admission year for schools and kindergartens whose academic calendars begin in August or September. The date was previously August 31.
The Ministry of Education recommended the decision following a technical and pedagogical review. The review examined national academic performance data, international benchmarking, and input from the education sector.
New school admission age requirements announced for UAE Kindergarten and Grade 1
To be eligible for admission, students must have completed the required age on or before December 31 of the admission year.
For Pre-Kindergarten, children must be three years old by December 31 of the admission year. This corresponds to Foundation Stage 1 (FS1) in the British curriculum, Petite Section (PS) in the French system, and Pre-KG in other curricula.
At the Kindergarten 1 (KG1) level, children must be four years old by December 31. This stage aligns with Foundation Stage 2 (FS2) under the British curriculum, Moyenne Section (MS) in the French curriculum, and KG1 in other systems.
For Kindergarten 2 (KG2), admission is open to children who are five years old by December 31. This level corresponds to Year 1 in the British curriculum, Grande Section (GS) in the French curriculum, and KG2 in other curricula.
At the Grade 1 level, children must be six years old by December 31 of the admission year. This equates to Year 2 in the British curriculum, Cours Préparatoire (CP) in the French curriculum, and Grade 1 in other curricula.
The decision will apply to new student admissions for the 2026–2027 academic year only. Students currently enrolled will not be affected and will continue under the admission rules in place at the time of their registration.
Schools that begin their academic year in April will continue to apply the March 31 cut-off date under their system, with no change.
Placement for students transferring between schools, curricula, or those arriving from outside the UAE will be based on the last successfully completed grade and progression, in line with approved grade equivalency procedures.
The policy shift is underpinned by national and international research assessing child readiness across core developmental domains, including cognitive, socio-emotional, language, and motor skills. Analysis of these domains confirmed that while age is a factor, school readiness is shaped by a broader set of interacting developmental indicators.
UAE school admission policy changes based on 39,000-student study
A national dataset of more than 39,000 students was analysed, including children who had enrolled at ages 3, 4, and 5 under the previous cut-off system.
The academic performance data revealed no disadvantages associated with early entry. In some cases, students who entered at age 3 demonstrated stronger academic outcomes. Conversely, those who enrolled later showed marginally lower performance.
The updated policy is designed to ensure fairness and consistency in enrolment, facilitate transitions between different curricula, and better match early education expectations to age-appropriate developmental stages.
The Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council commended the efforts across the education ecosystem, noting the role played by schools, policymakers, and researchers. It reiterated its commitment to education as a pillar of the UAE’s development agenda.
The Ministry of Education praised the role of parents, researchers, and experts in enriching the study and analysis process. The Ministry affirmed its commitment to engaging the wider education community.
