A Guide to Education and International Schools in the United Arab Emirates

United Emirates is one of the world’s most influential and developed places. It has become a home to different nationalities of people. Most of these people reallocate to the UAE for better prospects or education. Despite the scorching heat, people still love to reside in the UAE. If you want to enroll your children in an Emirati school, this blog will guide education and international schools in the United Arab Emirates. 

One of the many reasons why most people want their children to study in the UAE is because of the diversity of languages schools here offer. From quality education to well-developed infrastructure, Abu Dhabi schools have it all. However, they are pretty different from the Indian schools. The UAE government focuses on quality education for its residents. Hence it is mandatory to have primary education for all emirates. And to ensure all the children are educated, Government provides free education for those residents who wish to study in government schools. To understand the education concept more clearly, we have shared a brief guide to education and international schools in the United Arab Emirates. 

Understanding the educational system in the UAE

There are different levels in the UAE educational system. The MoE (The ministry of education) looks into the betterment of the school. It has Kindergarten to 12 groups and high school under them. Besides private schools, there are many government schools where most emirates enroll their children. UAE has recently allowed mixed gender for all classes, especially for the government schools, and students are highly encouraged to wear a proper school uniform. All schools in the UAE offer a curriculum that is either IB or CBSE. 

Essential facts about UAE schools that one must know 

• In the UAE, the academic year starts in September and continues till June. Most of the schools commence early at 7:00 and end mid-afternoon. These timings purely depend on the educational level your child is in. For example, the Pre-Primary class duration may be shorter than the higher-grade students. 
• When your child enrolls in UAE schools, they must learn Arabic as their language. Although their mode of instruction and the language used is English, making it their second language. If any students are willing to learn other languages like French, Portuguese, and Spanish, they wish to do so after consulting the faculty. 
• The student grading system used in the UAE is based on the American schooling system. 
• The educational system encourages parents to opt for Daycare and kindergarten facilities as this is how the child prepares for the next level, which is primary. 
• There are three categories in the Educational system in the UAE.
• Public school
• Private school, and 
• Professional institutions

Learn about the different levels and student ages 

There are three levels in the educational system in the UAE- Kindergarten, Primary school, Preparatory Level, and Secondary school. The Kindergarten level is for those children between the age group of 4 to 5 years, followed by the primary school between 6 to 11 years. The preparatory level is for those between the age group of 12 to 14 years, and secondary schooling is for those between the ages of 15 to 17.

Regardless of your nationality, the UAE offers equal educational facilities to all its people. However, there is a list of documents parents must obtain to enroll their children in public or private schools in the UAE. Parents must spend time researching and understanding the benefits of registering their children in public or private schools. Irrespective of the choice of schools, UAE education is considered the best in terms of fee structure and resources used. 

However, if you are looking for an Indian school, it is best to find a break up of the Indian international school fees with the school authorities.