The private sector is expected to drive growth in the education sector in the UAE as well as the Arabian Gulf as demand for private schools rises, according to a report from Global Investment House.
“Increased private sector participation is the need of the hour,” the report from the Kuwaiti investment company said on Sunday.
An increase in the expat population and better quality of education has led to increased demand for private schools in the Gulf, it said.
The UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have led the region in attracting private investors to the education sector.
The UAE had about 1 million students enrolled in private institutions across all levels in 2015, an increase of 4 per cent on average between 2010 and 2015, according to the report. Of that, 71 per cent were enrolled in private schools.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai said last year that 15 to 20 private schools were to open for the 2016-17 academic year. In the capital, Abu Dhabi Education Council expects to open 100 public schools by 2020 under its Future Schools Project.
“The governments are increasingly supporting the private sector through investor-friendly policies and resolution of challenges faced,” the report said, adding that their aim is to raise private sector involvement to improve the education system.
An increase in private-sector participation in the UAE education sector will lead to challenges in the recruitment of skilled personnel.
“A minimum of 14,000 teachers need to be hired over the next four to five years,” the report said. “Both the government and private players are implementing teacher-training programmes to boost the workforce.”
The report also cast light on investment opportunities in tertiary education, where student enrolment is low across the Arabian Gulf region.
Only 22 per cent of students in the UAE are enrolled in tertiary education facilities, compared to 92.3 per cent in secondary education, according to the World Economic Forum competitiveness report 2016-17.
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