The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dubai’s private education regulator, has issued renewed guidance on the new admission age policy for the 2026–27 academic year.

The guidance remains particularly relevant for new families joining schools in Dubai, as well as for exceptional admissions cases that may continue into September and October.

The official age cut-off for children entering Kindergarten and Grade 1 in the 2026–27 academic year is 31 December of the admission year, replacing the previous 31 August cut-off.

The clarification comes after KHDA launched four compliance handbooks for private educational institutions in Dubai under the Flexible Regulation Framework, as part of the Education 33 (E33) strategy.

The handbooks cover early childhood centres, private schools, higher education institutions and training institutes, supporting the learner journey from the early years through school and higher education to skills development, training and lifelong learning.

The 2026–27 academic year for international curriculum schools in Dubai got underway on 31 August 2026.

(Source: Khaleej Times)