Parents face Dhs5,000 fine, jail for not schooling children in UAE

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE authorities have clarified that the child’s right to education and the penalty for not enrolling him/her in an educational institution in accordance with the Child Rights Law ( Wadeema) is punishable by law.

The Dubai Public Prosecution said on Twitter, “Federal Law No. (3) of 2016 on Child Rights (Wadeema's Law).

Article (31), Every child shall have the right to education and the State shall work on achieving equal opportunities for every child according to the laws in force.”

According to Article 31 of the Child Rights Law (Wadeema), every child has the right to education, and the state is working to achieve equal opportunities for all children in accordance with the laws in force.

The authorities added that, according to Article 35 of the same law, the person responsible for the care of the child is prohibited from subjecting him to ostracism, vagrancy, neglect, or the habit of leaving him without supervision or follow-up, or abandoning his guidance and direction, or not doing his affairs, not attaching him to an educational institution, or leaving him in the event of his absence from education without obligation during the compulsory education stage.

The UAE Public Prosecution states that whoever violates this shall be punished in accordance with Article 60 with imprisonment or a fine of no less than Dhs5,000

Last year, the Public Prosecution published an awareness video on its social media accounts, coinciding with the Emirati Children’s Day.

The video highlights the potential punishment for exposing children to torture, violating their physical integrity or committing any act involving cruelty that affect children’s emotional, psychological or moral balance.

The Public Prosecution pointed out that pursuant to Articles 36 and 69 of Federal Law no. 3 of 2016 on Child’s Rights (Wadeema’s Law), which prohibits exposing children to torture, violating their physical integrity or committing any act involving cruelty, whoever violates these provisions shall be sentenced to detention and / or a fine of not less than Dhs50,000.