ABU DHABI // Children starting at public schools for the first time next academic year should be registered as soon as possible, parents have been warned.
“It’s important that they understand the time for registration and that they register early,” said Mohammed Al Dhaheri, executive director of school operations for the Abu Dhabi Education Council.
The regulator estimates 10,000 students will enter the public school system for the first time next academic year, about 80 per cent of whom will be Emiratis.
GCC nationals and Arab students who meet a certain criteria, including a grade average of 90 per cent or higher, can also qualify for public schools. Public education is free for Emiratis but costs Dh6,000 a year for expatriate Arabs.
Registration for Emirati students will begin on Sunday and continue until March 17. Parents of Arab expatriate students can register their children from March 13 to 17.
“Parents need to visit schools once and register their children using a student’s Emirates ID card,” said Mr Al Dhaheri.
The registration process takes about three minutes, he said.
Parents must choose a school within their catchment area, Mr Al Dhaheri said. If that school were full, pupils would be redirected to the school that is next closest to their home.
Mr Al Dhaheri said early registration helped Adec to plan for buying equipment and school materials, and organising transport and staffing for the coming academic year.
Last year, the regulator opened 10 public schools to make room for another 15,000 Emirati pupils.
Mr Al Dhaheri said there were plans to open more schools, but he would not say whether any of them would open for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Adec’s Future Schools Project aims to open 100 public schools by 2020. As of this academic year, 58 were built. There are about 130,000 students studying in the emirate’s 255 public schools.
According to him, the registration process takes about three minutes.
Parents must choose a school within their catchment area, said Mr Al Dhaheri said. If that school is full, pupils will be enrolled at a school that is the next closest to their home.
Mr Al Dhaheri said early registration helped Adec to plan for buying equipment and school materials, as well as organising transport and staffing for the new academic year.
Last year, the regulator opened 10 public schools to educate 15,000 Emirati pupils.
Mr Al Dhaheri said there were plans to open more schools, but he would not say whether any of them would open for the 2016-2017 academic year.
Adec aims to open 100 public schools by 2020.
rpennington@thenational.ae
