Procedures for obtaining a school admission in Dubai

Relocating to another place especially a different country like Dubai is quite a Herculean task. For families with school going kids, it also means finding and getting the kids admitted to well established schools where both the parents and children feel secure and happy. This is indeed quite stressful for parents as well as children. In fact shifting a child to another school is to be done with utmost care as the child will have adjust himself /herself to the new environment at all levels .

The primary task for parents is to do proper research and find a good school which is on par with the present one regarding academics and extra curricular activities. Its best to go individually to the school and have a look at the environment. However this may not be possible in everybody’s case. The alternative would be to do a bit of research through internet and friends/relatives who have their kids in the same school.

Points to be considered from the Parents’ view

• Academic Level
•  School Transportation facilities
•  Locality of the school
•  Social environment of the school
•  Extra curricular activities
•  Safety standards

The admission procedures for each school would vary according to their admission policies. Also the admissions would depend on the existing vacancies. So it is absolutely necessary to contact the school authorities well in advance.

Depending on the school and class of admission, there may be Entrance tests and various Interviews to judge the capability of the student. Your child should be prepared for the above and must perform well in order to get into the succeeding rounds of admission.

Legal requirements

• In the majority of the schools, the candidates will be considered for admission only after verifying the attested certificates /transfer certificates from the Ministry of Education. For further information please look up the site http://www.moe.gov.ae
• Also there are call centres for each Educational Zone which can be found at http://www.moe.gov.ae/English/Pages/ContactInformation.aspx

The original documents will have to be attested by

• Ministry of Education
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the respective country.
• UAE Embassy in the respective country
• Another compulsory requirement is to have the child’s Health card and Vaccination Schedule approved by the School’s Medical center.

(Please click here to know more about the procedures for getting the documents attested in Dubai.) In addition to the above mandatory requirements, there are some general points which will be considered in all the schools;-

General Requirements by schools:-

1. Completely and correctly filled Application form
2. Passport size photos
3. Copy birth certificate in Arabic or English Only.
4. Copy of student’s passport with a valid resident visa (For None UAE Nationals).
5. Previous year transcript
6. Letter of Recommendation

Notes:-

• The name of the child must be written as per Birth Certificate / passport on all school documents
• In most schools, the school management has the right to reject students.
• Students with a VISIT VISA will not be granted admission.