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Dubai: No school inspections for next year; how it will impact fees, ratings, quality checks

Temporary halt in inspections provide increased stability, decreased administrative burden, and improved data collection quality

Published: Sun 23 Jun 2024, 3:20 PM

Updated: Sun 23 Jun 2024, 9:32 PM

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Image used for illustrative purpose.

Image used for illustrative purpose.

Private schools in Dubai will not be subject to full inspections during the 2024-25 academic year except for new schools entering their third year of operations.

This directive was issued by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) after releasing the full report of its latest inspection. Here's a breakdown of what this means for various stakeholders in the Dubai school community.

No quality checks during this period?

The Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) will conduct visits targeting specific focus areas and ongoing monitoring activities. Institutions will be notified of the focus areas and priorities for the next academic year.

Schools must also routinely update the Self-Evaluation Form and the online school profile throughout the next academic year.

Additionally, schools can submit a request for a full inspection to the DSIB, which will be subject to review and approval at KHDA's discretion. Schools must submit their requests by July 5, 2024. Those whose requests are approved will be notified during Term 2 of the 2024-25 academic year.

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How will the school set fees?

The rate by which schools in Dubai can adjust their fees is tied to each institute's most recent inspection rating. Any fee adjustment by schools must be approved by KHDA. Depending on the school's performance, the institutions have traditionally been rated 'outstanding', 'very good', 'good', 'acceptable', or 'weak'. Henceforth, it is unclear how fee increases will be decided and managed.

In early April 2024, the KHDA announced an Education Cost Index (ECI) of 2.6 per cent, based on which schools could adjust their fees for the 2024-25 academic year. In Dubai, private schools were authorised to raise a maximum of 5.2 per cent of tuition fees.

Dubai schools have typically undergone annual inspections and received new ratings, except during the pandemic when inspections couldn't be conducted.

According to a Principal who spoke to Khaleej Times, one possibility is a uniform percentage increase next year across all schools, based on the Education Cost Index (ECI).

It's worth noting there has yet to be an official confirmation regarding the resumption of inspections for the 2025-26 academic year. However, the announcement about an inspection pause pertains solely to the 2024-25 academic year.

Will it benefit schools?

The temporary halt in school inspections provides several benefits, including increased stability, decreased administrative burden, and improved data collection quality. Headteachers reiterate that it strikes a balance between maintaining stability and ensuring timely interventions and feedback.

This decision further aims to support students' teaching and learning process and allows schools to implement changes to support their development and improvement plans.

What it means for parents?

School ratings based on the inspection outcomes assist parents in making decisions should they be considering transferring their children to different schools for the upcoming academic year.

In the interim, parents are encouraged to read the latest and past reports and gain insights about the quality of education in their children's schools. Following this announcement, the education regulator also reaffirmed its commitment to working with the education community to raise the quality of education in Dubai and align with the future goals of the emirate.

Key outcomes of this year's inspections?

During the academic year 2023-24, inspectors in Dubai evaluated 209 private schools, including 10 schools inspected for the first time. The KHDA conducted 19,782 classroom visits and engaged in 4,407 hours of dialogue with students, parents, and school leaders.

A total of 23 schools were rated 'Outstanding', 48 were rated 'Very Good', 85 'Good', and 51 'Acceptable', while two were rated 'Weak' with no schools rated as 'Very Weak'.

Overall ratings improved for 26 schools, while three schools saw a decline in their ratings.

In another demonstration of the continuous improvement in the quality of education, 81 per cent of Dubai students now attend private schools rated 'Good' or higher compared to 77 per cent during last year's inspection cycle. This means nearly 49,500 students have benefitted from this improvement.

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