Education is compulsory in its elementary stage and free in all stages inside the Federation concerning the States’ citizens whether males or females.

The State is required to provide school premises, books, teachers and other human and financial powers that ensure achievement of education goals.

Compulsory education starts in elementary stage at the age of six years in conformity to A.D date of the child’s birth, this obligation shall be required throughout the period decided by regulations and administrative regulations. However, and upon the approval of the Minister of Education, it is allowed to accept children under the age of six years by six months at most on the day determined for the beginning of school year.

Compulsory education is burdened upon the child’s father, if he is dead, legally declared incompetent or permanent absentee from the State, the obligation shall be burdened upon the child’s guardian.

Shall be exempted from compulsory education children affected by a disease that preclude them from continuing their education or children suffering from physical or mental disability which prevent them from joining special education schools or similar institutions set up by the State for persons of special needs.

Exemption specified in the previous Article shall be decided by the Minister of Education, and shall be effective throughout the existence of its reason, but should the reason be terminated, the obligation shall spontaneously be effective.

The obligated person is allowed to enroll the child in a special institution provided that the education in this institution is equivalent to the education determined for compulsory education; the Ministry of Education must be notified of the name of the institution at least one week before the beginning of the school year.

A decision given by the Minister of Education shall specify the institutions wherein the education is considered equivalent to the education decided for compulsory education.

Officials responsible for the registration of newborn infants in the Emirates members of the Federation are required to send to the Ministry of Education lists of the names of children registered in newborn registers one year before reaching the required legal age and provided that the notification must not be beyond the month of June of each year.

Concerning the first year of the implementation of this Law, lists must include names of children from the age of five years up to the age of fourteen years.

Lists must include the child’s name and the name of his father or guardian if exists, the surname, place of residence and address. Any person obligated is required to notify the Ministry of Education of any change occurs to his place of domicile.

The Ministry of Education must notify to the child’s father or his guardian of the name of school wherein it decides to enroll the child, date of beginning of before at least two weeks from the beginning of the school year.

If he is not submitted to school on the appointed time of school year or if he is not regularly attending without an acceptable excuse, the principal is required to notify to the child’s father or guardian by a registered letter with acknowledgement receipt to his well-known place of domicile.

If the child was not submitted within one week from date of receipt of the registered letter or should his absence of school be recurred for another time without a reasonable excuse, the child’s father or his guardian as necessary shall be considered contravener of the provisions of this Law and the principal must notify to the Ministry of Education of the matter within two weeks at most.

Should the child’s father or his guardian violate the provision of the previous Article, he shall be sentenced by a fine not in excess of twenty thousand Dinar Bahraini.

The court before adjudication, may grant the contravener a respite to implement the Law, if he implements the Law within the mentioned respite, the violation shall be abolished; otherwise, the decided sentence shall be rendered against him.

In case of recurrence, a judgment of doubled fine shall be rendered.

The Ministry of Education may increase or decrease school years for elementary stage.

The Ministry of Education shall set down the curriculums and teaching programs, determine the curriculums, set down regulations for transferring students from one class to another, and specify the number of years which the student is allowed to fail, decide date of beginning and ending of school year and any other matter required for the work progress.

The Ministers, each within his concern are required to implement this Law. The Minister of Education shall issue the decisions necessary for its implementation and shall come into force as of the publication date in the Official Gazette provided that the enforcement of the obligation shall start as of the school year following the publication date of this Law.