My husband and I will be moving to Abu Dhabi later this year. Our kids are at local schools in the UK, and we’re not sure how to go about sorting out their education in the UAE. Do we need to apply anywhere yet, and, if so, how do we go about it? Our kids are six and 14 years old. Any information you have about fees and forms etc would be very helpful.
Getting your kids into the right school can be a headache in your home country, let alone negotiating the process on unfamiliar turf. But you’re right to start thinking about it early, because schools here typically have very long waiting lists, and registration for many primary and secondary schools opened last month.
The first thing you need to know is that expat children can only attend private schools. You can find a list of these on the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s (Adec) website (www.adec.ac.ae) along with contact details and information about the curriculum they offer. Adec is an independent organisation that oversees education in the capital – this covers everything from school inspections to providing information and advice for parents. You’ll find a helpful map on their website that shows the location, curriculum and contact details of all the schools in the city.
Once you’ve visited a selection and settled on one or two schools you think will suit your children, it’s time for the lengthy and sometimes expensive registration process to begin. Now is certainly the time to get your application forms in, because many schools operate on a first-come, first-served basis. You can find these forms on the websites of all the schools, or their administrative department will fax you copies. Alongside these, all schools will ask that you provide the following: a copy of the child’s passport, with a valid expatriate’s residence visa, their birth certificate, and a recent passport-sized photo. You’ll also need a certified copy of their school certificate, recent report and grades. Some schools also charge a one-off registration fee, but these are deducted from tuition fees later on.
Lots of companies do pay the school fees for expat families, so check with your employer. These fees are undoubtedly expensive, but prices vary between schools and for the age of your child, from as low as Dhs10,000 a year up to Dhs55,000 for the more prestigious. If you are going to be paying the tuition fees out of your own pocket, take comfort in the fact that Adec set limits on what schools can charge, and you can check their approved fees listing on their website, along with rules on when and by how much these are allowed to increase. Good luck with the move!
