Breaking news for all Dubai Schools
- Year off for most schools from School Inspection in 2024 – 2025
- Potential for School Fee freezes for many schools TBC
- 209 private schools in Dubai were inspected during the academic year 2023-24
- 10 schools were inspected for the first time
- 19,782 classroom visits were carried out by inspectors
- 4,407 hours of dialogue and discussion with students, parents, and school leaders took place
- 81% of students receive an education rated Good or higher
- 83% of schools offer well-being provision rated Good or higher
A Letter has been issued to parents in private schools today by the KHDA revealing Inspection Key Findings for the 2023-2024 Academic Year.
As news come in, many questions are being raised, including whether the decision to delay school inspections for one year will result in schools not being able to increase fees in the 2025-2026 academic year so providing hard-pressed parents with a year of respite from continuing pressures from the rising costs of living elsewhere. The decision to delay most school inspections from 2024-2025 to 2025-2026 is explained by the KHDA as follows:
“This decision aims to support the teaching and learning process for students and gives schools the opportunity to implement changes to support their development and improvement plans. The DSIB team will conduct quality assurance visits that target specific focus areas to monitor schools’ progress on improvement plans during the next academic year.”
This is explored below and in separate coverage here.
In 2023-2024, inspections were conducted in 209 private schools. Of these, 26 schools improved their overall performance rating.
This means that a phenomenal 81% of students enrolled in Dubai private schools now attend schools rated Good or better.
Her Excellency Aisha Abdulla Miran Director General of KHDA told SchoolsCompared.com:
“The continuous improvement by the schools indicates their commitment to offer high quality educational opportunities for students. Our schools are among the world’s highest performing, according to international assessments, ranking sixth for literacy in PIRLS, top 10 globally for maths, and top 14 for science and reading in PISA assessments. These results reaffirm Dubai’s competitiveness as a world-class destination for education, in line with the leadership’s vision set out in the Dubai Economic Agenda D33 and Dubai Social Agenda 33.
“We are grateful to the school community, principals, teachers, and parents for their efforts in enriching the learning experiences for students and contributing towards making Dubai one of the top 10 cities in the world for quality education.
“We look forward to increasing the number of students who are receiving good or better education and providing more distinguished education opportunities to Emirati students.”
Dubai Schools Back Story
Dubai Schools and Percentage of Students by Curriculum
KHDA Inspections Explained
Number of School Inspection Each Year between 2008 and 2024
Percentage of Dubai Schools Achieving Each KHDA Inspection Ranking
Overall Inspection Ratings Achieved by Inspected Dubai Schools in 2023 – 2024
Percentage of KHDA Ranked Good or Better Dubai Schools by Curriculum
Going Up! Positive Changes in School Performance in 2024
Going Down! Negative Changes in School Performance in 2024
Where Dubai Schools Have Seen the Greatest Improvement in 2023 – 2024
Wellbeing in Dubai Schools 2023 – 2024
83% of schools provide good or better wellbeing support.
The KHDA powerfully recognise the instrumental role of parents in wellbeing:
“This progress would not have been possible without the close cooperation and support between schools and parents.”
Inclusion
76% of schools are rated Good or better for their inclusive education provision for students of determination, up from 39% during the 2014-2015 academic year.
Delay of 2024-2025 Inspections for Most Schools
Full school inspections will not be conducted for most private schools in Dubai in 2024-25. The exception is for new private schools that will complete their third year of operation during the next academic year. Schools can, if they wish, however, submit a special request for a full inspection to DSIB which will be subject to review and approval upon KHDA’s discretion.
Praise for Parents
The KHDA express in the strongest possible terms their praise for the role of parents:
“Thank you for being the crucial link in your child’s wellbeing and success.
“We are committed to working with you and school leaders so that together we can give your child the world-class education they need to succeed in life.”
Arabic Language and Subjects Teaching
Dubai schools improved the progress of students in Arabic as a first language, with 64% of schools rated Good or better, compared to 52% the previous year; and 77% of schools rated Good or better for progress of students in Islamic education, compared to 68% during the 2022-23 academic year.
Impact on School Inspections and School Fees
Most schools will now not have a school inspection in 2024 – 2025. Schools can request one in exceptional circumstances – but this must be requested formally by 5th July 2024. As a general rule the KHDA is not expecting schools to request this as they are aiming to give schools one year to work on improvements.
One impact of a year off from school inspections may mean that school fees may not rise for one year, as school fee rises are linked to inspection results. We are awaiting clarification from the KHDA on the exact impacts of the decision to give most schools a year off from school inspections. You can find the latest information on this here.
Full Report
KHDA Full Report Dubai Schools Official 2024 SchoolsComparedSummary Reports for Every School
Find details for your school here
Further Information
Learn about the most affordable schools in Dubai with their KHDA ratings here.
Read about Breaking the Bank – Latest Dubai School Fees here.
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