Education is the constitutional right of every citizen. The UAE Government recognises the role of education in building a knowledge-driven economy for the post-oil era. It developed the National Strategy for Higher Education 2030 to provide future generations with the necessary technical and practical skills.
Education in the UAE's Constituion
Education is a constitutional right of every citizen. Article 17 of the UAE's Constitution stresses the fundamental role of education in the progress of the society and makes education compulsory at primary stages. Ensuring that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education, the constitution makes education free of charge at all stages for citizens throughout the UAE. It also maintains that the government should set necessary schemes for spreading education and eliminating illiteracy.
Law on compulsory education
Education is a fundamental right of citizens and expatriate residents in the UAE. Federal Decree Law No. 39 of 2022 on Compulsory Education (available in Arabic) obligates the parent or the legal guardian to send their children to school.
The responsibility of providing education rests with the child's parent or the legal guardian. The UAE provides free education to its citizens at all levels in the UAE.
Responsibilities of the parent/legal guardian
The responsibilities of the child's parent or legal guardian include:
Exemptions
The parent or legal guardian is exempted from enrolling the child in a school if:
Violations
Failure to enrol the child in school or adhere to the compulsory education period will result in a written warning from Ministry of Education (MoE) or one of the other educational authorities, within five working days from the date of non-enrolment or non-adherence.
If the violation continues for more than 10 working days after the written warning, MoE or the educational authority must report the matter to the Public Prosecution.
Penalties
Failing to enrol the child in school, the parent or the legal guardian will face imprisonment and/or a fine ranging from AED 2,000 to AED 50,000. The court will also obligate the parent or the legal guardian to enrol the child within a period it determines.
Continuation of the obligatory education stage
According to Article 14 of Ministerial Decree No. 820 of 2014 on Registration Terms for Students, the student's parent must write a personal commitment to the school stating that he is aware of the rules of the Obligatory Education Law and any other resolutions issued in this regard, and that he undertakes to send his children to school during this 'Obligatory Education Stage'.
Law on the right of children to education
Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 Concerning Child Rights, also known as Wadeema's Law (PDF, 250 KB), every child has the right to education, and it is illegal to not put your child in a school or leave him without education during the compulsory education stage, without due reason.
The UAE government will work on achieving equal academic opportunities for every child and will take necessary measures to:
Read more about children's rights to education and protection, in Chapters 7 and 8 of Wadeema's law.
The National Strategy for Higher Education 2030 seeks to provide future generations with the necessary technical and practical skills to drive the economy in both public and private sectors. It also aims to prepare a generation of Emirati professionals to sustain growth in vital sectors such as knowledge, economy, entrepreneurship and the overall development of the UAE’s labour market.
Read about 'Raising the standard of education' in the UAE and other education-related strategies in the UAE.
The Literacy Challenge in the Arab World initiative seeks to benefit 30 million Arab youths and children by the year 2030. The initiative was launched by H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai in 2017 ahead of the opening session of the Knowledge Summit 2017 in Dubai. The initiative is organised in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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29 Oct 2024
