When only 4 per cent of schools operating in Dubai are considered "outstanding", the school system as a whole needs its own evaluation.
As we reported yesterday, of the 136 private schools inspected by Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) between October 2010 and April 2011, only six - about 4 per cent - were rated at the highest level of achievement. Half of the remaining schools assessed offered students only an "acceptable" educational value. Parents shelling out thousands of dirhams annually do not need to be told that an "acceptable" education is actually completely unacceptable. And, worst of all, 16 schools failed to even break out of the "unsatisfactory" category.
Despite plans to build an economy and society based on "knowledge" products and services, we are still failing to foster an environment where private schools excel as the rule instead of the exception. We hope that regulators are as concerned as we are.
To be fair, this year's private school assessment is an improvement over last year. More than 82,000 children are now attending good or outstanding institutions, up from nearly 65,000 last year.
And yet, for a nation spending so much capital on its future, it's natural to expect more. Part of the reason for private schools' poor showing may be that public schools are often no better, giving for-profit counterparts less competition. Many parents have no good alternative to private schooling, even if their children qualify for public schools.
Accountability is the obvious first step. The KHDA's review process offers one of the few transparent evaluations of private schools. The Ministry of Education should apply similar metrics in other emirates and release test results that are standardised based on the schools' curricula.
If parents can vote with their feet, that will force schools to improve simply to stay open. But education is too important to be thrown entirely to free-market forces. Parents know too well that it can be exceedingly difficult to find places for their children, the enrolment process is often opaque and the justification for high fees can be nonexistent. Emirates need to reduce the barriers for new entrants - perhaps by providing land for qualifying schools - to expand the pool.
In a country including many expatriates, the Government cannot be held responsible for fully funded state education. But neither can it let substandard schools operate below the radar.
