Empowering Parents: New Policy Allows Students to Repeat the Academic Year

Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge now allows parents to formally request that their child repeat a school year if they believe it serves the student's academic interests. Schools can make the final decision based on their assessment, giving families more flexibility in their children's educational journey.

This policy change reflects a broader shift toward personalized education that recognizes students have different needs and learning paces. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, schools can now adapt their processes to individual circumstances.

The department explained that moving students between grades affects their academic, physical, social, and emotional well-being. The new policy sets minimum requirements that schools must consider when making administrative decisions about students.

Grade promotion depends on several key factors: appropriate chronological age, meeting academic requirements, and how well the student fits with the approved curriculum. But here's the important part - keeping a student in the same grade or having them repeat a year isn't done randomly.

Schools must follow specific guidelines that balance educational goals with providing necessary student support. This means decisions get made based on what actually helps the student, not just automatic advancement.

For parents, this creates new opportunities to advocate for their children's educational needs. If a student struggled during a particular year due to illness, family circumstances, or simply wasn't developmentally ready, families can now formally request a do-over.

The policy also protects students from arbitrary decisions. Schools can't just hold back students without proper justification and support plans. This creates accountability on both sides - parents need valid reasons for their requests, and schools need clear criteria for their decisions.

This approach aligns with international education trends that prioritize student readiness over rigid age-based advancement. Research shows that sometimes repeating a grade can benefit students who need more time to develop academically or socially, especially in early elementary years.