Private schools in Dubai rank among the world's top 10 in all sectors, a new report has found.
The results from the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) 2025 were hailed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, who said the findings are a testament to the emirate's education system.
Overall, the UAE outperformed all other Arab nations in the fields of reading, science and maths and was one of only eight of the 91 participating countries and economies that improved its performance from the previous evaluation in 2022, state news agency Wam reported.
“We begin the new academic year with an achievement that reflects the strength and continued progress of Dubai’s education system,” said Sheikh Hamdan.
Sheikh Hamdan congratulated the emirate's education community on the achievement, saying it reflects the collective efforts of teachers, pupils and parents.
“We have great confidence in everyone working with dedication to achieve new accomplishments for Dubai and its people,” he said. “We have even greater confidence in the ability of Dubai’s schools, teachers, pupils and parents to continue making progress and build on these results to reach new levels of excellence.
“Our goal remains clear and unwavering. Every student in Dubai should receive a high-quality education that opens up broader opportunities for the future and equips them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to play an active role in shaping it. This will support the UAE’s aspirations and further strengthen its global competitiveness and leading position.”
Making the grade
The Pisa assessment is administered every three years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to evaluate the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old pupils.
Dubai’s private schools ranked sixth globally in reading, with an average score of 501 points. They also ranked eighth globally in maths and science, recording average scores of 511 points and 522 points, respectively.
Private schools in the emirate also ranked ninth globally in computational problem solving, with an average score of 534 points, outperforming the global average by 34 points. In the previous assessment, Dubai’s private schools ranked ninth globally in mathematics, 13th in reading and 14th in science.
“Dubai’s ambition knows no limits, and every achievement is a starting point for an even greater one. The emirate continues to raise expectations for its education system in line with its vision for the future,” said Sheikh Hamdan.
“Our focus is on enhancing the quality of educational outcomes and developing the capabilities of future generations, in line with the UAE’s aspirations and its people-centred development model.”
UAE-wide improvement
The UAE was the highest-ranked Arab country in the evaluation in the fields of mathematics, science and reading, Wam reported.
Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education, said this was down to the collective efforts of the UAE’s educational institutions, staff and teachers. Pupils’ ambition and determination to excel were key drivers in this achievement, she added.
The report said more than 96 per cent of UAE pupils attend schools with subject-specific guidelines for digital device use, compared to the average of more than 71 per cent. There were 34,639 pupils from 1,070 schools across the UAE that took part in the assessment, Wam added.
