Dubai schools must report students absent for five consecutive days under new rules
Dubai: Private schools in Dubai must notify education authorities when a student misses five consecutive days without a valid reason or accumulates unexplained absences equivalent to 10 per cent of the school days in a term, under new safeguarding regulations. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has made the reporting requirements mandatory under its Policy Framework for…
Dubai's private schools are now required to report students who miss five consecutive days of classes without a valid reason or accumulate unexplained absences equal to 10 percent of the term's school days. This new safeguarding regulation, issued by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), aims to detect early risks that could affect a student's safety and wellbeing.
Schools must implement written attendance policies tailored to students' age, learning arrangements, and type of education. They must maintain accurate attendance records and investigate repeated or unexplained absences. If a student's absence raises safety concerns, schools must act immediately, even if the reporting thresholds haven't been met.
The framework also mandates schools to follow up on attendance concerns with parents, guardians, or caregivers for students under 18, and to contact students directly aged 18 and over, with family involvement only when permitted or when there's a risk of harm. Universities and vocational institutions can set their own attendance thresholds based on their unique learning arrangements.
Schools must establish clear procedures for responding to missing students and test their effectiveness during the first year of implementation. The requirements apply to boarding facilities as well, which must appoint a residential safeguarding lead and complete necessary arrangements within a year.
Written by urgent.news from Gulf News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
