• If the number of unjustified absences at the end of the academic year exceeds 15 days, the student may be forced to repeat the entire year.
• A student's absence will be counted as two days if it occurs on Fridays, or on the days before or after official holidays.

The most important points of the guide:

• School attendance is a prerequisite for academic success.
• Focus on attendance on Fridays, before and after holidays, before exams, and the last two weeks of the second semester.
• Maximum unexcused absence: 5 days per semester and 15 days per year.
• Approval of a list of acceptable excuses with exceptions for people with disabilities and chronic diseases.
• Gradual warnings and alerts begin after one day of absence and end with the student and parent’s file being referred after 15 days to external child protection authorities to ensure appropriate intervention .
• Activate an instant messaging system to inform parents of their children's absence.
• The guardian has the right to appeal within five working days from the date of notification.

United Arab Emirates : The Ministry of Education announced the adoption of a procedural guide for attendance and absence for the 2025-2026 academic year. This comes as part of its efforts to enhance school discipline and ensure student attendance in the educational process, which contributes to raising achievement levels and instilling positive educational and behavioral values. The guide targets students in public schools .

Through this guide, the Ministry aims to instill the values of responsibility and accountability in students as fundamental pillars of their future, and to build a more cohesive and disciplined school community. It also aims to promote attendance on days of increased importance, such as Fridays, the days before or after official holidays, the days before the final exams for each semester, and the last two weeks of the second semester. These periods significantly impact the continuity and quality of the educational process. In this context, the Ministry emphasizes that school attendance is a prerequisite for academic success and an educational value that reflects a student's awareness and commitment to their future .

The Ministry explained that the guide was based on specialized educational studies that highlight the seriousness of repeated absences and their cumulative impact on the level of learning. These studies indicate the significant educational loss resulting from a student's absence of 10% of school days, which leads to a decline in the level of achievement equivalent to half an academic year. This loss doubles to reach the equivalent of a full academic year when absences exceed 20% of school days .

The Ministry noted that the guide highlights the impact of absenteeism on the school community as a whole, and its negative repercussions, which require effective educational treatment to ensure its non-recurrence, given its impact on the smooth flow of the educational process and the learning environment, all the way to the negative impact on the students themselves within the classroom .

According to the guide, the maximum unjustified absence is set at five days per semester. If the number of unjustified absences exceeds 15 days at the end of the academic year, the student may be required to repeat the entire year. The case will be referred to the relevant departments and sectors within the ministry, and the case will also be referred to external child protection agencies to ensure appropriate intervention .

The guide takes into account various situations that may require a student to be absent from school. A list of acceptable excuses has been approved, including illness, travel for medical treatment, participation in national and international events, emergency circumstances, or the death of a first- or second-degree relative. Special exceptions have also been made for people of determination and students with chronic illnesses, ensuring their educational rights are not compromised. The ministry has obligated schools to develop individual support plans for students at risk of repeated absences. These plans include psychological and educational support sessions, regular communication with parents, and incentive programs that encourage regular attendance. These plans will be reviewed periodically to ensure their effectiveness .

The procedural guide also specified the weights of absence, such that a student’s absence during regular school days is recorded as one day, while it is recorded as two days if it is on Fridays, before or after official holidays, or during the periods preceding the final exams for each semester and the last two weeks of the second semester .

The procedural guide outlines the sequence of warnings and alerts for unjustified absences, starting with a written alert after one day of unexcused absence. A first warning is issued after three days of absence, followed by a second warning after six days of absence, with the file being referred to the Child Protection Unit. A third warning is issued after ten days of absence, with the file being re-submitted to the Child Protection Unit. In the event of fifteen days of unexcused absence, the file is referred to the relevant departments and external child protection agencies. The Ministry will also introduce a messaging system to notify parents immediately of their children's absence from school. In this context, the Ministry calls on all parents to update their data regularly to ensure they receive notifications, in order to preserve their children's safety during the school day .

The Ministry of Education emphasized the important role of parents in ensuring the success of the guide's provisions. Their monitoring of their children's attendance and providing official excuses are pivotal to achieving the guide's objectives. The ministry also granted parents the right to file a grievance within five working days from the date of notification of absence, ensuring transparency and fairness in the implementation of the policy.

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