Parents here are about to have more say in their children’s education.
Schools are expected to become more accountable for students’ learning and safety partly through ‘thousands’ of surveys for parents prepared by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) next academic year.
In a test round of the upcoming inspections, 2,000 parents at one pilot school alone filled out multiple DSIB questionnaires on how well – or not – schools encourage “student development,” among other criteria.
“Schools have a promise to provide pupils with quality education,” said Jameela Al Muhairi, chief of the DSIB, in the sidelines of "The Role of Inspection in School Improvement" conference on Tuesday.
The DSIB plans to make the conference an annual affair to raise awareness about education developments in Dubai.
“This will bring people to the country and we can share experiences and expertise. It will also give us direct feedback from parents.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education is drafting a sort of parents’ bill of rights, to be included in the bylaws for private education that were recently approved by the UAE Cabinet.
The bylaws have not yet been released.
“We can top-up those rights in Dubai. We’re working very closely with the ministry,” said Jameela. The DSIB falls under the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which has jurisdiction over all schools and colleges in the emirate.
While some parents look forward to the inspections and bylaws expected in the coming school year (Sep2008-Jun2009), others feel it will take ‘decades’ for any significant improvement in education in the country.
“There has to be a natural sense of responsibility from the school owner and management side. Otherwise, there is always a way around regulations,” said a father of three at a British school, who asked not to be named.
Jameela said a main goal of the DSIB was to instil a culture of self-evaluation in Dubai schools. The KHDA is trying, among other things, to meet objectives set out in the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, which is pushing the city to become a knowledge economy.
Page last updated 01 January 2020