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UAE: Is corporal punishment allowed in schools? Disciplinary and student expulsion rules announced in Abu Dhabi – News

UAE: Is corporal punishment allowed in schools? Disciplinary and student expulsion rules announced in Abu Dhabi – News

By setting clear guidelines for behavior and promptly addressing any issues, schools can create safe and respectful spaces for students’ personal and academic development.

Educational institutions play a vital role in creating a safe and positive learning atmosphere. Corporal punishment of any kind is strictly prohibited in schools across the country; This ensures that students feel safe from corporal punishment and abuse.

Promoting positive behavior is a priority, especially when addressing misconduct among students. However, private schools in Abu Dhabi are prohibited from using the following methods for student discipline:

  • Corporal punishment (using physical force to discipline or punish)
  • Unauthorized disclosure of personal information
  • Psychological punishment (verbal abuse, threatening)
  • Locking a student in a school building
  • Seizure of student belongings without decision of the conduct management committee
  • Lowering or threatening to lower the student’s academic grade/score
  • punishing a group for one person’s bad behavior
  • Upload additional schoolwork
  • Mocking, insulting, or humiliating a student privately or publicly
  • Preventing the student from using toilet facilities or consuming water and food
  • Detention outside official school hours without parental consent

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Schools should establish a student behavior policy that outlines acceptable corrective actions, ensuring they are proportionate, age-appropriate and in line with disciplinary rules. Which schools are allowed when disciplining a student?

  • Disciplinary actions may include arguments with students and parents
  • Official and recorded meetings with students and/or parents
  • Verbal warnings
  • Written warning to parents
  • Temporary or permanent suspension from classes (on-site suspension) under appropriate supervision.
  • Loss of school privileges
  • Confiscation of inappropriate personal items (cell phone or music player).
  • Supervised detention during breaks (with parental permission)
  • Supervised restorative community work
  • Temporary removal of the student from school buildings (out-of-school suspension)
  • Permanent removal of the student from school by deregistration/cancellation (expulsion)

Schools should ensure that their misconduct policies and procedures distinguish between different levels of misconduct. Not every level of misconduct warrants expulsion from extracurricular activities. However, some crimes classified as level two, three and four may lead to student suspension from school.

Levels of bad behavior

second level Offenses include leaving or entering class without permission, failing to participate in required school activities without an acceptable excuse, and participating in physical fights or intimidating peers. Additional offenses include minor damage to school property, using phones without permission, and verbally abusing members of the school community. Possession or use of tobacco products, refusal to comply with safety instructions.

third level Offenses include bullying, intimidating, harassing or exploiting any member of the school community, including insulting on social media. Other crimes include forging documents, impersonation, and academic fraud such as cheating or plagiarism. This includes leaving school premises without permission, damaging school property, and activating fire alarms or extinguishers. Additional violations include damaging a school bus, assaulting others without causing injury, reckless driving on school grounds, and unauthorized seizure or distribution of staff or student media.

fourth level Crimes include using communications for illegal or immoral purposes that bring the school and community into disrepute. Other crimes include possessing or distributing a weapon, committing sexual assault or harassment, and assaulting others and causing injury. This includes theft, capturing or sharing illegal content, leaking exam questions, and setting fire to school property. Insulting political, religious or social figures in the UAE, consuming or distributing alcohol and drugs, promoting culturally inappropriate ideas, engaging in illegal digital activities and trespassing on school premises outside working hours are serious violations. Constant bullying or harassment, including slander on social media.

Schools should outline clear and progressive disciplinary procedures to address student misconduct. Schools may show tolerance when applying disciplinary measures but reserve the right to follow announced procedures. under.

  • Bad behavior level – Two

First time – written warning: The student signs an undertaking promising not to repeat the crime. Call in the parent who needs to sign an agreement to support their child’s reformation.

Second time – on-site removal: Temporarily suspend the student from school for up to two days and assign supervised work assignments within the school and notify the parent accordingly. Additionally, give a second written warning to both the student and the parent. The parent is required to sign a commitment to support the strategy for student reform agreed by the Behavioral Management Committee (BMC).

Third time – on-site removal: Temporarily suspend the student from school for up to three days and assign supervised work assignments at school. Give a final written warning to both the student and the parent. Notify the committee to develop a plan to address the student’s behavior. The parent must sign an agreement to support the proposed strategy.

More than 3 times – deportation: By immediately notifying the parent, the student is suspended from school for a maximum of five days until the investigation is completed.

The committee will consider the evidence and determine a range of final disciplinary actions, which may include expulsion. If the student continues to repeat the offense after these measures, the school may apply for expulsion against Adek. The application to Adek must include evidence that all previous steps have been followed, as well as evidence that adequate support and counseling has been provided in accordance with the behavioral strategy.

  • Abuse level – Three

First time – on-site removal: Immediately suspend the student from school. The committee will evaluate the evidence and decide on disciplinary measures. The school will inform parents of the action taken and ask them to sign a commitment to support the agreed strategy.

Second time – off-site suspension: Notify the parent and immediately suspend the student from school for up to five days pending investigation. The committee will evaluate the evidence and determine final disciplinary measures. A final written warning will be given to both the student and the parent. The student and parent will be called to the school to present the committee’s decision.

Third time – deportation: The student will be suspended from school for five days until the investigation is completed, with parents notified. The committee will consider the evidence and agree on final disciplinary measures, including expulsion. If, after following the previous steps, the student continues to repeat the offense, the school may apply to Adek to expel the student. When applying to Adek, the school must include evidence that all previous steps have been followed, including evidence that it has provided adequate counselling.

  • Bad behavior level – Four

First time – offsite suspension: Notify the parent immediately and suspend the student from school until the investigation is completed. The committee will consider the evidence and agree a disciplinary plan.

Second time – deportation: Immediately notify the parent and suspend the student from school for 5 days pending investigation. The committee will consider the evidence and agree on final disciplinary measures, including expulsion. If, after following the previous steps, the student continues to repeat the offense, the school may apply to Adek to expel the student. When applying for Adek, the school must include evidence that all previous steps have been followed, including evidence that it has provided adequate counseling according to behavioral strategies.

Adek has the right to investigate any complaint regarding suspension or expulsion following the school’s final decision. However, this investigation can only be carried out before the final decision if the school does not make its decision within the stipulated time.

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