UAE Sets December 31st Cut Off for KG & Grade 1 Admissions

The United Arab Emirates will move the school admissions age cut off for Kindergarten and Grade 1 to December 31st, starting from the 2026–2027 academic year, replacing the current August 31st date. The change applies to all schools that begin their academic year in August or September, while schools that start in April will continue to follow the existing March 31st cut off. The decision was approved by the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council following a formal recommendation from the Ministry of Education. Authorities said the policy is intended to standardise enrolment across different curricula, ensure fairness in admissions, and better align early education stages with children’s developmental readiness. Under the revised framework, eligibility will be based on children meeting the required age on or before December 31st of the admission year. Pre-Kindergarten will require children to be three years old by December 31st, corresponding to Foundation Stage 1 in the British curriculum and Petite Section in the French system. KG1 will be open to children aged four, KG2 to those aged five, and Grade 1 to children who turn six by December 31st, with each level aligned to its equivalent across British, French, and other international curricula. The council said the new cut off was set following a comprehensive technical and pedagogical review drawing on international benchmarking, sector-wide input, and analysis of a national dataset of more than 39,000 students. Academic performance data showed no significant disadvantages linked to early entry, with some students who enrolled at younger ages demonstrating stronger outcomes than peers who entered later.