Today's Edition
AMEINAH ALZEYOUDI (ABU DHABI)
With Abu Dhabi’s clear inclusion policy for private schools, parents of children of determination are approaching the upcoming academic year with greater confidence.
The emirate’s Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has set specific guidelines for the admission of students with additional learning needs. Private schools are not allowed to deny admission to schoolchildren of determination, provided that they can accommodate them in the appropriate year level, according to the regulator’s latest School Policy on Inclusion.
Requiring compliance from Academic Year 2025-2026, the policy stipulates that schools’ admission processes shall prioritise “the attendance of students with additional learning needs and their siblings in the same school”.
Mariam Hassan, mother of a five-year-old boy with autism, said that being able to enrol her son Omar in the same school as his siblings significantly eases the logistical difficulties for their family. “It also lessens the psychological toll on him,” she said.
“Giving priority to children of determination and their siblings is not just a logistical convenience; it’s a deeply humane and important step,” Hassan told Aletihad.
Being able to secure admission alone was already a big help for children of determination, according to another parent. Waleed Obaid, whose daughter Yara has a hearing impairment, previously found it challenging to find a school that could recognise and meet his child’s needs.
“Requiring private schools to admit pupils [with special needs] when space permits is a significant step towards defending educational rights and advancing equality of opportunities,” he said.
Moza Ali, who has a child with autism, emphasised that the policy not only addresses access issues – “it makes a strong statement about respecting human dignity and the right to an inclusive education”.
“We are making progress towards a more equitable and compassionate educational system by making sure that deserving students are not excluded from private schools when there is room. This choice reassures me as a mother that my son has a legitimate role in society, beginning in the classroom,” she said.
Under ADEK’s inclusion policy, schools that are unable to meet the needs of any student with additional learning needs shall submit appropriate documentation within seven days of the admission decision’s issuance.
“ADEK reserves the right to uphold or overturn an inability to accommodate notification based on the evidence submitted by the school and from other sources. Schools shall make reasonable adjustments and accommodations to enable admission for all students with additional learning needs to the school,” it added.
The guidelines also require schools to support the transition process for students of determination and ensure their safe, equitable access to the learning and physical environment of the school, making reasonable adjustments where necessary.
