Dubai school admission age cut-off moves to December 31 for 2026–27 year

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has issued new guidance on school admissions for the 2026–27 academic year, with a key change to the age eligibility policy. The official age cut-off for children entering Kindergarten and Grade 1 is now December 31 of the admission year, replacing the previous August 31 cut-off. The policy applies to new admissions to schools and kindergartens beginning their academic year in August or September; existing students are not affected. Schools beginning their academic year in April continue to use March 31 as the cut-off. The Ministry of Education introduced the policy following a technical and educational review based on analysis of academic data for more than 39,000 students, international benchmarking, and research on children's readiness. The stated reasons include achieving fairness and equal opportunities, supporting students' educational and social readiness, and ensuring stability in academic progression. Eligibility depends on the child's date of birth and curriculum followed. Special provisions apply for children born between September 1 and December 31, 2021, who were not eligible in 2025–26.