UAE updates age cut-off for KG and Grade 1 admissions from 2026

December 17, 2025 / 12:30 PM

Sharjah24-WAM: The Education, Human Development and Community Development Council has approved an updated age cut-off date for admissions to Kindergarten and Grade 1. Starting from the 2026–2027 academic year, the new official cut-off date will be 31 December of the admission year for all schools and kindergartens whose academic calendars begin in August or September. The previous cut-off was 31 August.

The decision, advised by the Ministry of Education, arises from a thorough technical and pedagogical review grounded in national academic performance data, international benchmarking, and extensive consultation with sector stakeholders.

Revised age requirements across KG and Grade 1

Under the new policy, children must be the required age by 31 December of the admission year: Pre-KG / FS1 / Petite Section (PS) – 3 years old; KG1 / FS2 / Moyenne Section (MS) – 4 years old; KG2 / Year 1 / Grande Section (GS) – 5 years old; Grade 1 / Year 2 / CP – 6 years old.

The change applies only to new admissions for the 2026–2027 academic year. Current students will keep their existing placement rules. Schools beginning their academic year in April will continue to use the 31 March cut-off.

Placement for students transferring between curricula or arriving from abroad will adhere to approved equivalency and academic progression procedures.

Research-driven policy ensures fairness and alignment

The revised framework is based on both national and international research assessing child readiness in cognitive, language, motor, and socio-emotional domains. Analysing a national dataset of over 39,000 students revealed no academic disadvantage for those who enrolled earlier. In many instances, students who began school at age three achieved more positive outcomes, whereas later enrollers showed marginally lower performance.

The Council observed that the policy promotes fairness and consistency in admissions, facilitates smoother transitions between curricula, and aligns learning expectations with age-appropriate developmental stages.

The Council praised the joint efforts of schools, policymakers, and researchers, reaffirming its commitment to educational excellence as a key part of the UAE’s development vision. The Ministry of Education commended parents and experts for their contributions to the study and reiterated its dedication to involving the wider educational community.