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Some UAE parents turn to homeschooling for children born after August 31 school cutoff

For families with children born after the cut-off dates, enrolling in FS2 or KG1 becomes a challenge

Some parents in the UAE are turning to homeschooling or hiring babysitters to bridge the gap before their child can start their formal education — as their children are either too young for formal schooling but too old for preschool.

This issue particularly affects children born just after the cut-off dates for school admissions, leaving parents with limited options.

For families with children born after August 31 (the cutoff for international curricula) or March 31 (for Indian-curriculum schools), the admission process for Foundation Stage 2 (FS2) or Kindergarten 1 (KG1) becomes a major challenge. In many cases, these children are unable to secure spots in either type of school, and sometimes even in nurseries, forcing parents to find alternative solutions.

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One such parent, Mariam Moemen Mostafa, an Egyptian-Canadian expat who moved to the UAE in October 2024, shared her frustration with Khaleej Times. She had hoped to enrol her four-year-old daughter in school for the second semester, but the age requirement for FS2 in the British system prevented her from doing so. "It was a huge disappointment when I realised that she couldn’t start FS2 until next year."

Mariam’s daughter, who turned 4 on October 27, is now being homeschooled, despite the family's efforts to find a solution. “When we were still in Canada, we knew we were moving to the UAE by the end of October. I thought it would be best to enrol her in an online school for the first semester to prepare for the transition. I assumed she could join a school in the second term, but because of the age cut-off, I couldn’t do that,” Mariam added.

'A waste of time and resources'

The Abu Dhabi resident shared that she attempted to convince various school heads in different emirates, but they all adhered to the age requirements without exception.

"I even contacted schools in Dubai. My husband was willing to travel back and forth to his office in Abu Dhabi but no school would accept her," she said. With few options left, Mariam faces the difficult decision of having her daughter repeat a school year—a situation she described as "a waste of time and resources".

“She's too old for daycare or nursery. She is already halfway through her English and Arabic letters. Now my only option is to have her repeat KG1 if we want her to attend a school here and that’s such a waste of precious time and resources," Mariam said.

'Have to shell out extra money'

For other parents, the situation comes with added financial strain. Femina Nuvaise, an Indian expat, is also dealing with age-related school cut-offs. Her daughter, born in June, will have to wait until she turns 5 before she can attend an Indian-curriculum school.

"She will only be able to begin next year when she turns 5. I hope there won’t be any issues with her enrolment next year, especially since she is a tall child," said the Indian expat who has been living in the country for the past four years.

In the meantime, Femina has enrolled her daughter in a playschool that ends at noon, but the extra costs don’t stop there. "I have to hire a babysitter to pick her up and stay with her until 5pm. The babysitter charges Dh1,500 a month," Femina explained.

“If she were in an Indian school, the fee would be around Dh1,000 only. So, in this scenario I have to shell out extra money as well. I have tried enrolling her in several schools, but all refused to accept applications," she added.

Femina is also hesitant to enrol her daughter into a different curriculum, as transitioning her to the Indian curriculum later would be difficult. "The Indian curriculum offers more structure and rigour, which I want for my child," she said.

Parents call for flexibility

This issue has recently been raised in the Federal National Council (FNC), with calls for the Ministry of Education to reconsider the current cut-off dates. Parents are asking for more flexibility, especially since many local children born later in the year face similar challenges.

Despite the growing concerns, school leaders in the UAE continue to follow strict regulatory requirements regarding age cutoffs.

Sarah Hollingworth, vice-principal at GEMS Wellington Academy – Silicon Oasis, said: “We provide detailed guidance and clear communication to all our new families enrolling in Foundation Stage. We reassure parents that, through our outstanding early-years curriculum, we provide personalised learning opportunities to ensure all children are challenged to meet their next stage of development within their age-appropriate year group placement.”

She added: “The admission policies are guided by regulatory requirements, and we offer individual assessments to evaluate a child’s readiness for formal schooling. We place children according to the requirements and, unfortunately, cannot place children who narrowly miss the cut-off in the year group above.”

School leaders also stressed that fostering “open dialogue between schools, nurseries, and regulatory authorities can help address these gaps at a systemic level”, ensuring no child is left behind due to a rigid cut-off date.

Iris Fernandez, head of Admissions at Amity School Dubai, said that while every child is unique, the age cut-off aims to ensure children are socially and emotionally prepared for school.

“The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has conducted extensive research to establish the current age criteria, ensuring children are socially and emotionally prepared for school...The age cut-off has been introduced with the best interests of the students in mind," she said.

Schools also suggested that "bridging programmes" could help younger children prepare for formal schooling, but such programmes would need to be implemented as a directive from the KHDA.

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