Pakistani school in Dubai improves after 7 years 'weak' rating

A Pakistani curriculum school in Dubai has finally reached 'acceptable' standards after being ranked as 'weak' for seven years in a row by education authorities.
The HH Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistan School in Dubai showed improvements in the recent inspection report by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
The report also shared results of the Pakistan Educational Academy, which has moved from an 'acceptable' to a 'weak' school. These are the only two Pakistani curriculum schools in the emirate.
The HH Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistan School was consistently rated 'weak' year after year because of its lack of proper teacher training, low student progress and lack of focus in teaching Arabic as an additional language. It currently has 1,210 students and 90 teachers.
Now, with the new principal on board, the school is seeing improvements, especially in terms of teacher development, student progress and leadership, according to the inspection report.
"The new principal has introduced school improvement strategies to good effect," the report said. "His initial vision included professional training that is improving leadership qualities and teaching practices. The school now has enhanced resources and is a safe and happy place in which to work and learn."
Speaking to Khaleej Times, the principal of the school, Imran Waheed, said he joined the school in early 2018 and immediately started working on curriculum development, staff training and ensuring health and safety of the students.
"We didn't change any teachers, we focused on training them. We focused on curriculum development, innovation, safety and security of the students. So, after 7 years, we were able to reach the bare minimum of acceptable," Waheed said. "We already changed the books, we introduced extra resources, we focused on teacher training, the students' wellbeing - these are the things which we've been doing. We never took constraints as barriers. We were wisely and sparingly using our resources. Our target is definitely go to the next level, which is 'good' (KHDA rating)."
The school is a non-profit one and its leaders have often voiced their concerns over lack of resources and funding. Now, it is in the process of obtaining a license from the Community Development Authority, which will allow it to exercise fundraising activities - potentially increasing its resources in the near future.
KHDA makes key recommendations to each school in their inspection report. It told this school to improve teaching in all phases to ensure individual student needs, provide a wider skill-base of governors and increase all students' attainment in Arabic as an additional language.
As for the Pakistan Educational Academy, the report said that the school leaders lack the initiative to make necessary improvements to school. It has about 1,400 students and 140 teachers.
The report said: "Senior leaders have not been successful in identifying the progress of the school through self-evaluation. School improvement planning has been mostly ineffective. Recommendations from previous inspections have not been addressed. A few middle leaders have demonstrated the ability to unite their departments behind a common theme, resulting in positive impact on teaching and learning in their subjects."
Arabic as an additional language is "notably weak" at the school, as well as mathematics in the senior school. Science is weak in the primary phase. Only the KG section has strong learning skills and elsewhere they are acceptable.
The principal of the school, Muhammad Zahid Azeem Zahid, told Khaleej Times that he believes it was "only small factors" which didn't impress the KHDA inspectors.
"All of the recommendations are there by the KHDA and we are preparing everyone in this regard. We are trying to get more resources, create a school improvement plan and teacher training," Zahid said.
KHDA has recommended the school to ensure the governors "act urgently" to improve school leadership, ensure that the school's self-evaluation analysis is accurate, senior leaders must prioritise school improvement projects, improve students' outcomes, as well as improve the monitoring of health and safety conditions.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com