One private school in Sharjah has been rated 'outstanding' in the emirate’s school performance assessment this year, with nine others deemed 'very good'.
The rankings were given by Sharjah Private Education Authority’s Itqan programme – an official assessment that aims to enhance school performance.
This year Gems Education Millennium Private School’s performance was evaluated as outstanding, SPEA said in a statement on Sunday.
The results also showed nine schools were ranked as “very good”, 44 “good”, 53 “acceptable”, and three “weak”.
No school was ranked “very weak”.
'97 per cent of schools providing acceptable education'
A total of 110 out of 127 private schools in the emirate – which collectively educate 181,175 pupils including 21,995 Emirati pupils – were evaluated.
Results of the study showed that all but three schools provided at the very least “acceptable” education.
Fifty-four schools, representing 49 per cent of those evaluated, provided at least “good” education.
Among Emirati pupils, 64 per cent (14,003 children) received a “good” or better education at Sharjah schools.
Nearly all Emirati pupils receive an “acceptable” or better education, with only eight children at a school rated lower than “acceptable”.
68 per cent improvement among Sharjah schools
The results indicated a significant improvement of 68 per cent in school performance compared to previous evaluations in 2018 and 2019.
Pupil performance has also improved since the last assessment was carried out.
Proficiency in Arabic for native speakers was better in 60 per cent of the schools included in the ratings.
Many of the schools providing a decent education were also affordably priced, SPEA said in the release.
Thirty-four private schools, charging average annual fees of Dh20,000 or less, provided good or better education.
Seventeen schools were not included in the evaluation due to not meeting the assessment criteria, such as only being in their second year of operation.
Constant development
Sharjah's education authority said that a number of factors were needed to make sure schools continued to improve in the future.
“The results mark a significant milestone for the SPEA in its continuous commitment to enhance the quality of private education in Sharjah,” the statement said.
“However, SPEA … emphasised the need for continuous support, professional development programmes for educators, and regular review visits to schools achieving “acceptable” or lower levels to ensure future improvement.”
The Itqan programme began in October last year and lasted until March this year, evaluating schools on six criteria with the aim of improving their performance.
The criteria included quality of pupils' achievements, personal and social development, quality of teaching and evaluation processes, curriculum, quality of care, guidance, support provided to pupils, and the quality of school leadership and management.
Boarding schools in Dubai: in pictures
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Boarding school pupils at the Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai. All photos: Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai -
The Swiss International Scientific School launched in 2018 but enquiries picked up post-Covid -
The school has 70 pupils, half of whom are weekly boarders while the other half live at the school full-time -
School principal Ruth Burke says parents pick Dubai because it is one of the world's safest cities -
A boarder in his room -
The school premises -
A room in which pupils can relax -
Full boarding fees at SISD start from Dh224,500 for Grade 6 and go up to Dh239,700 for Grade 12 pupils -
Weekly boarding at the school costs from Dh156,355 in Grade 6 to Dh170,295 in Grade 12
