As part of new stricter enforcement, absences on Fridays and on days preceding public holidays are counted as double
The growing trend of students skipping school on Fridays and in the days leading up to public holidays was raised at the Federal National Council (FNC) on Wednesday, amid warnings that the practice is having a negative impact on education standards and social values.
FNC member Dr Moza Al Shehhi questioned the Ministry of Education on what it is doing to curb what she described as “mass absences” ahead of public holidays, calling the phenomenon a worrying pattern in schools.
In response, Minister of Education Sarah Al Amiri said the ministry has introduced a package of measures specifically aimed at reducing absenteeism on Fridays and before official holidays, citing a “qualitative shift” in student attendance during the first term of the current academic year.
According to ministry data shared with the council, overall attendance for all school days during the first term reached 94.7 per cent. The minister said 86 per cent of students recorded full attendance throughout the term, a sharp increase from just 3.8 per cent previously — an improvement of more than 82 percentage points.
Al Amiri said the measures include the issuance of Ministerial Resolution No.79 of 2025, which regulates attendance and absence policies in government schools. The resolution standardises how absences are recorded and strengthens disciplinary procedures, alongside the activation of electronic attendance monitoring and instant notifications to parents.
She added that the ministry has also issued a comprehensive attendance and absence management guide for the 2025–2026 academic year, setting the maximum limit for unjustified absences at 15 days per school year.
As part of stricter enforcement, absences on Fridays and on days preceding public holidays are counted as double. Students who exceed the permitted absence limit may have their report cards withheld, while written undertakings are taken from parents. Chronic absence cases are studied individually and, where necessary, referred to child protection authorities.
The minister stressed that field monitoring will continue and that policies will be further refined to strengthen discipline and instil a sense of responsibility among students.
Concluding the discussion, FNC Speaker Saqr Ghobash underlined the role of families in addressing the issue, saying responsibility does not rest with the ministry alone.
“From the start, who allowed the student to be absent?” Ghobash asked, recalling that students in earlier generations were not allowed to return to class after an absence without a parent present. While acknowledging the ministry’s efforts, he said the greater responsibility lies with parents.
The issue of student attendance has increasingly come under scrutiny as part of wider efforts to raise education quality and reinforce accountability across the school system.
© Khaleej Times
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