81% of Dubai students attend private schools rated Good or higher

Eighty-one percent of students in Dubai now attend private schools rated good or above, compared to 77 percent in last year’s inspection cycle.

This is revealed by results published by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which show that nearly 49,500 students benefited from this improvement.

A total of 209 schools with more than 360,000 pupils on roll were inspected this year, including 10 schools inspected for the first time.

A total of 23 schools were rated Outstanding, 48 were rated Very Good, 85 Good and 51 Acceptable, while two were rated Weak and no schools were rated Very Weak. Overall grades improved for 26 schools while three schools saw their grades decline.

Commenting on the results, Aisha Abdulla Miran, Managing Director of KHDA, said: “Our schools are among the best performing in the world, according to international assessments, ranking sixth for literacy in the PIRLS, in the top 10 globally for mathematics and in the top 14 for science and science. reading in PISA assessments.

“These results reaffirm Dubai’s competitiveness as a world-class education destination, in line with the leadership’s vision set out in Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and Dubai Social Agenda 33,” she added. .

81% of #Dubai students attend private schools rated Good or above. Nearly 49,500 pupils benefit from improved inspection grades across 26 schools. https://t.co/3yy38hwxT0 @KHDA pic.twitter.com/yIHntsPRZb

– Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) June 21, 2024

Key statistics

• 209 private schools in Dubai were inspected in the 2023-24 academic year.
• 10 schools were inspected for the first time this school year.
• 19,782 class visits carried out by inspectors.
• 4,407 hours of dialogue and exchanges with students, parents and school leaders.
• 81% of students receive an education rated good or superior.
• 83% of schools offer well-being services rated Good or better.

Improvement of quality indicators

This year, 90 percent of schools improved one or more quality indicators. Of these improvements, 67 percent are linked to student achievement, 26 percent to schools’ provision for learners and 7 percent to leadership.

Dubai schools improved student progress in Arabic as a first language, with 64 percent of schools achieving a good or better rating, up from 52 percent the previous year; and 77 percent of schools rated good or above for student progress in Islamic education, up from 68 percent in the 2022-23 school year.

Private schools in Dubai have made great strides in reducing barriers to learning and ensuring equitable access to education. Inclusive education has improved, with 76 percent of schools now providing provision rated Good or better for determined students.

Wellbeing provision remains an important priority, with 83 per cent of schools with wellbeing provision rated good or above.

Fatma Belrehif, CEO of Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB), said: “We encourage parents to read the reports and better understand the quality of education in their children’s schools. We are committed to working with our education community to improve the quality of education. in Dubai and align ourselves with Dubai’s future goals.

Inspections during the 2024-25 academic year

Private schools in Dubai will not be subject to full inspections in the 2024-25 academic year, with the exception of new schools which will complete their third year of operation in the next academic year.

The move aims to support students’ teaching and learning process and gives schools the opportunity to implement changes to support their development and improvement plans.

The DSIB team will conduct quality assurance visits that will target specific focus areas to monitor schools’ progress on improvement plans over the next school year.

Schools wishing to undergo a full inspection may submit a request to the inspection team, which will be subject to review and approval at the discretion of the KHDA.

Full inspection reports and individual parent summary reports for the 2023-24 academic year are now available on the website. KHDA website and mobile application.