WESTERNERS DOMINATE MIDDLE EAST INTERNATIONAL TEACHING LANDSCAPE

In Middle East international schools 86% of full-time staff are Westerners (the highest percentage in the world)

92% in ‘premium’ int’l schools 72%

in the UAE

589

international English-medium schools in the UAE

By 2021 613,000

teachers will be employed in international schools worldwide

By 2026 906,000

will be needed

The biggest challenge for international schools will be worrying about finding enough highly-skilled English speaking teachers” Richard Gaskell, Director for International Schools, International Schools Consultancy

dubai — International K-12 schools in the Middle East, particularly in the UAE, employ the highest percentage of Western teachers in the world, according to data unveiled by International Schools Consultancy (ISC) on Tuesday.

Speaking at the International Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) Middle East conference being held in Dubai, Richard Gaskell, ISC Director for International Schools, noted that the total number of Western teaching staff in UAE international schools comprise 86 per cent of full-time staff, which increases to 92 per cent in “premium” schools throughout the region.

In the UAE, which currently holds the highest number (589) of English medium schools in the world, British nationals make up the highest percentage of teaching staff at 49 per cent, followed by North Americans at 15 per cent, other Europeans at 7 per cent, Australians and New Zealanders at five per cent.

Emiratis and Arab expats make up less than one per cent.

In his remarks, Gaskell noted that the global market for international schools has grown tremendously over the past few decades, and is continuing to do so.

“Thirty years ago, there were less than 1,000 international schools, and most of those schools were not-for-profit, running straight forward British or American curriculums,” he said. “Today, it’s completely different. Most of the students attending international schools are from wealthy local families, and most of the schools are for-profit, and schools are running a variety of curriculums.”

Challenges faced

Gaskell noted that international schools around the world employ about 420,000 full-time teachers, compared to approximately 90,000 in 2000. By 2021, ISC predicts this will grow to approximately 613,000 teachers, which will grow to 906,000 by 2026.

“The biggest challenge for international schools will be worrying about finding enough highly-skilled English speaking teachers,” he said.

Mark Roelofsen, co-founder of IPSEF, noted that many international school operators are also confronted with the “continued uncertainty in the oil price situation.”

“Some of these schools are being impacted by a significant number of families employed by the sector and in related industries who have not returned to expatriate posting,” he said, noting that schools have had to cut back on staffing and stepped up admissions efforts.

But Ashwin Assomull, Managing Director and Mena Education Leader for Parthenon-EY, a global consultancy, noted that despite the challenges, in 2015 and 2016 a number of schools have “opened up with very strong numbers.”

“These schools are premium, but also mid-priced. We’ve seen a lot of enrolment at a time when people do believe the market may be stagnating,” he said.

“This is evidence of strong performance for enrolment in new schools that have opened.”

“We’ve had a whole range of different price models and curricula open up over the last couple of years, and next year there will be some really high-profile openings,” he added.

Assomull added that Abu Dhabi is also a market with “a lot of growth opportunity”, and noted that many Emiratis are moving towards international schools. Additionally, he noted that Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah are taking steps to

420,000 teachers employed by international schools globally in 2016; it was 90,000 in 2000

increase availability of international schools.

Important for Dubai’s economy

Speaking at the event, Kalthoom Al Balooshi, executive-director of Educational Development at Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), said international schools are a key part of Dubai’s economy.

“The private schools market actually adds about Dh6 billion to Dubai’s economy, which is about two per cent of the total GDP of the city,” she said.

She noted, however, that the total contribution is largely far greater, as the figure only takes into account tuition fees. “We’re not talking about transportation. We’re not talking about uniforms. We’re not talking about educational stationery or books, or construction,” she said.

“This is a huge proportion of Dubai’s economy.”

She added that she expects that Expo 2020 will be accompanied by a huge influx of students who will need to be enrolled in schools. “We’re expecting 20 million new visitors and a huge proportion of them will have a base in Dubai,” she said.

“When you have employers and companies, you tend to have families. The families will definitely have kids.”

bernd@khaleejtimes.com