12 Abu Dhabi schools face suspension over academic irregularities

Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) has launched the first phase of a comprehensive review process to monitor and address grade inflation and inconsistencies in academic records across some private schools in the emirate. The initiative aims to ensure fair and consistent student assessment, guarantee that graduates earn their certificates based on genuine merit, and prevent unfair practices which lead to inaccurate results or unjustified school rankings.

To date, student registration for grades 11 and 12 has been temporarily suspended in 12 schools across the emirate until they rectify their practices and fully comply with the required standards.

Future phases of the initiative will extend to grades 9 through 11, where internal school results will be compared with external benchmark test scores.

ADEK will also analyse school patterns to identify non-compliant practices. The initiative was launched after ADEK’s quality assurance systems detected significant discrepancies between external benchmark test results and the grades awarded internally by schools. This process underscores the importance of strengthening parents’ trust in the quality of education their children receive.

ADEK is committed to applying rigorous and transparent practices to maintain and reinforce this trust within the educational community.