Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) will not close down those schools that have continued to be ‘unsatisfactory’ over the last four years, a senior official said.
The KHDA’s annual school inspection report has suggested that despite the overall improvement in the education system of Dubai, more than half of the total private schools in Dubai are still just acceptable or unsatisfactory, with more than six per cent of the students still attending unsatisfactory schools.
However, the authority believe the schools are improving and need more time to show results.
The ‘acceptable and unsatisfactory’ clubbed together have come down from 56 per cent to 54 per cent, while the number of unsatisfactory schools has also come down from 16 last year to 13.
“The numbers suggest a marked improvement. Over the last four years the number of students attending schools ranked unsatisfactory has come down from 15,757 in 2009 to 10,988 this year. This shows that there has been progress and even those schools that have continued to be unsatisfactory have actually improved,” Jameela Al Muhairi, chief of KHDA’s Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB), said.
Progress
The 13 schools that are ranked unsatisfactory this year are His Highness Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistani School, Apple International School, Al Worood Academy Private School, New Academy School, Dubai Infants School, English Language Private School, Al Hesn Private School, Dubai American Scientific School, Grammar School, Al Farooq Pakistani Islamic School, Buds Public School, Little Flowers English School and Pakistan Education Academy.
Ten of the 13 schools in this category have remained unsatisfactory over the last two years, while three schools have declined from acceptable to unsatisfactory.
Speaking about the future of these schools, Jameela said: “These schools are charting the course of progress, though they are slow. We want to support these schools to improve, there is no intention in KHDA to close down these schools.” However, she added that it was up to the parents to decide whether or not to keep their children in these schools.
By Shafaat Shahbandari ?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
