A REPORT CARD PAR EXCELLENCE

More than 70 per cent of students attending Indiancurriculum schools in Dubai are receiving ‘good’ quality of education or even better, according to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, whose teams spent 3,636 hours in classes observing 3,331 lessons

dubai — A total of 73 per cenostudents attending Indian-curriculum schools in Dubai are receiving ‘good’ quality of education or even better, a report by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has revealed.

The 2018-2019 ‘Indian Curriculum Schools’ report showed that 31 out of 35 Indian-curriculum schools were inspected by the KHDA. This year, 21 schools were rated ‘good’ or better, compared to 18 schools last year.

One school was rated ‘outstanding’, 15 were rated ‘good’, five were ‘very good’, nine were ‘acceptable’, and one was ‘weak’.

Fatma Belrehif, CEO of the Dubai School Inspection Bureau at the KHDA, said: “We can clearly see an improvement in the quality of education on offer in the Indian-curriculum schools. This will further improve student outcomes and achievements in the years to come.

“The continued progress of Indian-curriculum schools reflects the keenness of school leaders to implement inspection findings and improve the quality of education in Dubai.”

Three schools improved in the school ratings this year, with two schools advancing from ‘acceptable’ to ‘good’ and one moving from ‘weak’ to ‘acceptable’.

There are 79,113 students enrolled in Indian-curriculum schools. Three out of four of them are receiving ‘good’ or ‘better’ quality of education. A total of 69 per cent of students were in ‘good’ or ‘better’ schools in the 20172018 academic year, up from 45 per cent 10 years ago in 2009. Seventy-four per cent of the pupils follow a CBSE curriculum; 11 per cent follow CBSE and have an option to sit for KSB; and 10 per cent follow a CISE/ICSE curriculum.

“While the number of Indiancurriculum schools increased by 67 per cent during the last 10 years, the increase in the student population was 45 per cent. Students wishing to follow the Indian curriculum now have a wider selection of schools operating at different price points.

“These schools offer a range of Indian curriculums leading to different examination boards,” the

report said. GEMS Modern Academy is the only ‘outstanding’-rated school. The Indian High School, Delhi Private School, GEMS Our Own English High School, The Millennium School, and the Ambassador Kindergarten are all ‘very good’ schools. Gulf Model School is the only ‘weak’-rated school.

“We have now completed a decade of school inspections in Dubai and more students than ever now

attend schools rated ‘good’ or better,” Belrehif said.

Of the two schools serving 2,562 students, one school improved from ‘weak’ to ‘acceptable’ and the other declined from ‘acceptable’ to ‘weak’. HH Sheikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistani School was rated as ‘acceptable’ and the Pakistan Education Academy was marked ‘weak’.

The continued progress of Indiancurriculum schools reflects the keenness of school leaders to improve the quality of education in Dubai.” Fatma Belrehif, CEO of Dubai School

Inspection Bureau, KHDA