When a child's fatigue after school in the UAE becomes a cause for concern

At the start of the academic year, which began for students across the UAE on August 31st, schools are reminding parents of an important rule: children who feel unwell must stay home until fully recovered.

Institutions strongly recommend that families keep children at home if they exhibit symptoms such as fever, cough, vomiting, or diarrhea. This helps children recover while simultaneously limiting the spread of illnesses in classrooms.

These recommendations come in light of the start of the new academic year, when millions of children are settling into classes across the country. School administrators emphasize that maintaining children's health is only possible through cooperation between parents and educational institutions.

Schools inform families that their health and safety practices comply with the guidelines of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

At Woodlem British School in Ajman, Director Natalia Svetenenko stated that the message to parents must be very clear: children absorb material better when they feel well. She noted that families are always reminded of one simple thing: a child learns best when healthy. If a student has a fever, flu symptoms, vomiting, or diarrhea, the right decision is to stay home until recovery and safe return. In cases of infectious diseases, medical certificates may be required, but not for every minor illness.

The school also continues to focus on on-campus measures, including hygiene, ventilation, and cleanliness. Svetenenko stressed that communication between parents and schools remains particularly important when a child starts showing signs of discomfort. She added that the school continues to focus on clean classrooms, good ventilation, regular sanitation, and strict hygiene procedures, and that the most important thing is interaction. When parents and the school work together early on, they protect the well-being of every child and ensure continuity of learning.

It can be difficult for families to draw the line between a mild cold and symptoms requiring a child to stay home, especially during the busy first weeks of the school year. Therefore, schools urge parents to be cautious if their children develop a fever, gastrointestinal symptoms, or other signs of illness. In addition to disease prevention measures, institutions will also continue to conduct vaccination initiatives as part of a broader approach to student health.

At Sharjah Indian School, vaccination programs start significantly earlier than the beginning of the new academic year. Director Pramod Mahajan reported that parents are required to provide vaccination records, allowing the school to identify any gaps and organize vaccinations if necessary, with parental consent. He specified that their immunization campaign begins as early as April. Parents are asked to provide proof of their children's vaccination; if gaps are found, the school offers to conduct vaccinations during its campaign, but only after obtaining parental consent.

The program covers students from kindergarten to senior grades, with the type of vaccination varying depending on age and requirements. Mahajan noted that the school follows the established schedule and provides families with relevant dates. He added that in September-October, for example, influenza vaccination will be conducted, and this campaign runs six times a year.

Meanwhile, in a circular to parents, one of Dubai's schools reiterated that maintaining a healthy environment requires 'proactive collaboration between families and the school,' emphasizing that providing sufficient time for recovery helps protect both the child and the entire school community. This school specifically asked parents to keep children home and monitor them if they develop a cough, temperature above 37.5°C, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose, body aches, stomach pain, conjunctivitis, or rash. Parents were also advised to consult a pediatrician if necessary.

These health recommendations also stress that although illness cannot always be prevented, giving children enough time to recover can help protect both the child and the wider school community. It is important to note that the school has set clear rules for returning to school: 'Children must be fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducers before returning to class.' Those who suffered from vomiting or diarrhea must wait 48 hours after symptoms subside to return.

Yellow school buses are back on the roads, and the gates of educational institutions are opening across the United Arab Emirates. This morning, over 1.277 million students are returning to more than 1,180 schools, marking the start of a new academic year after a long summer break.

Khaleej Times correspondents and multimedia teams are throughout the UAE, covering the morning hustle, scenes of greetings at school gates, as well as the first hours, which can be exciting, emotional, or sometimes chaotic.

However, the return to school today is not only about the start of classes. Students are returning to an academic year that includes several important changes. Among these are the cancellation of traditional homework for students from kindergarten to grade 2, increased control over digital devices for sixth graders in public schools, the expansion of Arabic-language assessments, and changes in teaching and student evaluation methods.

Khaleej Times promises to provide up-to-date updates from the roads and classrooms, as well as share the reactions of students, parents, and teachers, to provide all necessary information about the UAE's return to the educational process.

Parents preparing their children for the new academic year in the UAE are facing questions about a child's readiness for school, a question gaining particular significance due to the updated age admission rules in the UAE, which will take effect for new students in the 2026-27 academic year.

Children entering Pre-Kindergarten, KG1, KG2, and Grade 1 groups in schools starting in August will be assessed based on the 'by December 31st' criterion, while schools with an April academic year will maintain the use of the March 31st date.

However, readiness for learning is not determined solely by the child's date of birth; the new policy considers cognitive, social, emotional, linguistic, and motor development, making age just one factor.

For families, this decision becomes deeply personal. Some parents welcome the extra time for developing confidence and independence in a young child, while others weigh the date of birth, level of development, and school availability.

Syrian expatriate Mariam Haddad believes that an extra year can be beneficial for her young son, born in December. She plans to use kindergarten experience to strengthen his confidence before entering 'big school,' as well as work on daily skills that ease the transition.

Haddad notes: 'Despite meeting the requirements, I will send my son to big school next year. He attends kindergarten this year, and I believe the preschool experience will help him be ready for school next year. Furthermore, I am currently teaching him toilet training, which I think is important before starting school.' She believes that early exposure to the preschool environment lays a stronger foundation before entering a more structured educational setting.

Another perspective comes from an expert who believes that parents who decide to wait another year may notice that their children are better prepared for school. Although there might initially be some age gap, it will disappear over time as the children grow up.

Nevertheless, for UAE citizen Raudhi Al Kaidi, the change highlighted another issue: having the required age does not guarantee a spot. Her son, born in September, was eligible for admission this year, but she could not secure a place when applying.

Al Kaidi added that the timing of the policy announcement led to some families competing for already filled spots. She shared that her son will now study with his younger cousin, despite the one-year age difference between the children. Different rules apply in Abu Dhabi related to residential zoning for public schools.

The Ministry of Education clarified that the new policy applies only to new admissions in the 2026-27 academic year and does not change the status of already enrolled children. Transitional mechanisms are also provided for some children who did not fall within the previous eligibility range.

For schools, the issue goes beyond simply meeting the required date of birth. Richard John Drew, Director of Jumeira Baccalaureate, stated that preschool education helps children develop necessary communication and socialization skills, but even a few months can matter at this developmental stage.

He emphasized that a high-quality early development environment is very beneficial because it promotes the development of confidence, curiosity, language, and social skills through purposeful play. He noted, however, that even a difference of just a few months can be significant, especially in areas such as emotional regulation, independence, and communication.

Drew reported that schools consider the child's broader development rather than focusing exclusively on academic abilities, as the right group provides an important foundation for future learning. He advised parents whose children fall under transitional conditions to view it as an important long-term decision, going beyond academic ability and assessing the child's readiness for the expectations of that group.

Gemma Brown, Head of EYFS at Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi, advised parents to focus on how children communicate, interact, and handle basic routine tasks when assessing readiness. She asked whether a child can express their needs, ask questions, and initiate interaction with other children in the group, and whether they can separate from a parent or guardian with the understanding that they will return at the end of the day.

Brown also noted that self-sufficiency in daily matters is a useful indicator, stressing that readiness is individual. She recommended that parents who are unsure use the transition period to observe the child's behavior outside the familiar home environment and consult with an early childhood development specialist.

Medical specialists caution parents against reducing age to a sole indicator of readiness. Dr. Vasan Sulaiman, a family medicine consultant at Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Hospital, warned that children of the same chronological age can be at very different emotional and social stages.

She stressed that school requires much more than academic skills. A child needs to be able to cope with separation from parents, follow routines and instructions, wait their turn, interact with other children, express their needs, and manage frustration. Children who are more mature in terms of development can handle these requirements more easily.

Sulaiman reiterated that parents should pay attention to signs such as the ability to follow simple routines, express basic needs, adhere to turn-taking, concentrate on age-appropriate activities, and develop independence in eating, toileting, and dressing. She also reminded that complete independence or complete absence of separation anxiety cannot be expected, as development happens gradually, and the school environment itself plays an important role in the child acquiring new skills.