DUBAI - Parents have started thronging British schools to seek admission for their children, almost six months before the academic year is set to begin this September. Schools, too, are also gearing up to meet the increased demand.
Cambridge International School (CIS), which opened admissions for siblings of their current students, will begin registering other parents from today.
David McLaughlin, Principal of CIS told KT that the school had seats for 150 students in its foundation stage.
“We looked at the demand and had to adjust our resources to meet the demand,” he said.
The school, which follows the British National Curriculum, plans to open more classes as authorities say more parents are opting for the British curriculum.
“We always try to respond to the demand. In fact, we will redevelop our school to extend our capacity in the next two years,” added McLaughlin.
Conceding that the International Baccalaureate was developing fast and was a major contender for UK’s National Curriculum, the principal said, “The English curriculum is very popular and it does enable learners to progress. In England, it is continuously revised and updated.”
Dubai Scholars, that is based on the British ‘O’ Level, claimed that parents had queued up the previous night recently to register their wards.
According to the school authorities, a large queue had formed outside the school gate as parents sought enrolment for their children for the upcoming academic year.
However, the school could offer only about 85 places.
An Indian parent who had waited in line said, “Even though I’m ultimately planning to move back to India, I still want my kids to have a British-based education. There is a changing trend in India with the growing acceptance of the British curriculum.”
Schools like Dubai British School (DBS), which also adheres to the National Curriculum, said they were busy tackling the admission rush.
Melissa Jarvinen, marketing manager at Beacon Education, that manages DBS, said, “The recruitment process at Dubai British School is going exceptionally well and the admissions office is extremely busy taking in new applicants on a daily basis. Places are filling up quickly.”
By Preeti Kannan (Our staff reporter)