By AFP
Abu Dhabi: Parents in Abu Dhabi received notice last week of sweeping changes to how students can arrive at and leave private schools, after the emirate’s education authority introduced new regulations designed to strengthen child protection and transportation safety, according to Emarat Al Youm.
The Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), which oversees private education in Abu Dhabi, has ordered schools to assign supervisors to watch over students up to 45 minutes before the school day begins and up to 90 minutes after it ends.
The move is part of a set of measures intended to align with ADEK’s student transport and safeguarding policies.
In messages emailed to parents, schools highlighted the most significant shift: children under the age of 15 are no longer permitted to arrive at school or depart without an accompanying adult.
The restriction extends to walking alone, taking a taxi, using private cars or ride-shares, or boarding non-school buses without an adult.
“Health, safety and the well-being of all children is our top priority,” schools wrote, adding that parents must adjust arrangements by Monday. Failure to do so, they warned, will result in students under 15 being barred from leaving campus unless accompanied.
The rules drew particular attention for their blanket scope. ADEK has refused to grant exemptions for children living near schools who previously walked alone. The authority said uniform enforcement was necessary because “children’s safety is the ultimate priority.”
Older students, those in “cycle three,” typically in grades 9 through 12, will continue to be allowed to travel independently, though only with signed parental consent.
Even then, ADEK emphasised that schools are not responsible for students once they leave campus via non-school transportation.
The updated policy requires schools to establish a formal handover process to ensure that students are released only to authorized adults.
Parents must provide advance written notice if someone outside the approved list is to collect their child, including in last-minute changes.
Schools are obliged to record such communications, verify IDs at the gate, and circulate names to security staff and supervisors.
To prevent security breaches, ADEK has also mandated round-the-clock security guards at all school entry points.
Guards must log visitor details and remain on post until replaced by relief staff.
Schools are further required to maintain protocols for managing “security intrusions” to minimise risk from unauthorized visitors.
Under the new rules, ADEK clarified the boundaries of school responsibility. Supervision extends only to the prescribed windows, 45 minutes before and 90 minutes after classes, and does not cover students dropped off outside those times without the school’s knowledge.
In addition, parents of older students must sign waivers acknowledging that schools bear no liability for accidents or incidents when students use non-school transportation such as scooters or bicycles. The waiver is expected to detail risks tied to the chosen mode of travel.
ADEK warned schools that non-compliance could trigger legal or administrative penalties, including those spelled out in the UAE’s criminal and civil laws. The authority also reserved the right to intervene directly if a school was found to be neglecting its obligations
