Private schools are increasingly bringing in inspectors to help them to improve standards amid preparations for the introduction of government scrutiny in the next academic year.
As the education sector experiences rapid growth, many of the newer schools hope that inspections or accreditation from outside organisations will help them to prove they are achieving a level of quality comparable with schools enjoying established reputations.
Education specialists have said that without such inspections, schools can become “isolated” and fail to develop in line with best international practice.
The first official inspections of private schools, by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which regulates education in Dubai, will begin in September following trials earlier this year.
In the KHDA’s pilot scheme, 10 inspectors visited six government and private schools in April. When the initiative is widened, every school in the emirate of Dubai will be inspected in accordance with “defined indicators” to test their performance in such areas as student learning, teaching and leadership against standards set by good schools internationally.
However, the inspection reports will not be made public, so parents will not be able to use them when deciding between schools.
Abu Dhabi Education Council, which like the KHDA takes over full responsibility for regulating private schools in September, has not yet said whether it will carry out inspections similar to those being introduced in Dubai.
The growing desire among private schools to seek outside endorsement was demonstrated recently by the announcement that the British Schools in the Middle East (BSME), which has 28 member schools in the UAE, is to introduce “accredited member” status for schools that reach certain standards.
The schools will assess themselves, though they will use criteria partly developed by an external organisation, Penta, which also helps to assess standards at some government schools in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, the schools’ self-assessments will be verified by head teachers from other BSME schools. These, too, will not be made available to the public.
“As there is more talk in Dubai about impending inspections, it’s becoming more common for schools to seek that external eye,” said Mark Evans, managing director of Penta. “It is to do with being fair and rigorous. Schools are looking at themselves and thinking it would be sensible to look at what their strengths and weaknesses are in readiness for being inspected [by the KHDA]. They’re getting ahead of the game.”
The growth in private inspections mirrors the practice of some schools overseas of introducing their own assessments in advance of action by governments.
Among the schools already subjecting themselves to inspection is the British School - Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
In common with many institutions, it has a constitution requiring regular inspections – usually every three years. Written by Penta, the most recent inspection report described the school as “very good”, with many outstanding features, and noted there were “no significant weaknesses”.
Mr Evans insisted such glowing reports did not indicate inspections by private companies were less demanding than those by governments. Rather, a balance was struck between being “unduly harsh and unduly soft”.
“We spend time talking to parents and surveying them online, and talking to pupils,” he said.
The school also insisted that inspections carried out by private companies contracted by schools were rigorous.
“It is hard work and I am sure it is stressful for a lot of staff, but it does provide a different perspective on the school,” said Paul Coackley, the principal.
“It was very positive feedback but we’re always looking to improve and build on the successes.”
At Dubai English Speaking College, a secondary school with a British curriculum, the head teacher, Peter Daly, said he would consider using external inspectors once it became clear what type of inspection regime KHDA was planning.
“I think we could all use some external validation,” he said, adding he would consider hiring inspectors trained by the UK’s Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).
“As good as your own internal reviews are, they won’t be as thorough as getting that outside view.”
This view was echoed by Clive Keevil, a senior education officer for Global Education Management Systems (Gems), which has more than 20 schools in the UAE.
“With any international school, if you’re not careful you can isolate yourself and think you are doing a good job,” he said.
“You need to benchmark yourself against standards outside the UAE, so we put our schools through an accreditation process.”
Among the new schools seeking accreditation from an international organisation is Deira International School, which is owned by Educational Services Overseas, a private company with nine other schools in the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
Bassam Abushakra, the company’s regional director, was hopeful DIS would be accredited by the Council for International Schools.
“A lot of the better international schools are accredited by these bodies.
“I think a lot of schools in the UAE have some external accreditation,” he said.