Despite progress 45 per cent of Abu Dhabi schools need to improve ‘significantly’

Inspections report says 82 of 183 schools were lagging behind and must do better.

ABU DHABI // There has been progress in the overall performance of many private schools in the past six years, but 45 per cent still require significant improvement, a report says.

The Third Cycle Inspection Results for Private Schools report found that 82 of the 183 schools need to improve the quality of their education.

The findings were released for the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s Private Schools Annual Forum, and show a steady improvement between the first cycle of inspections in 2009 and the third cycle this year.

“The overall effectiveness grade improved for 69 per cent of private schools between cycle one and cycle three, which shows an improvement in the education system across private schools,” said Hamad Al Dhaheri, Adec’s executive director for private schools and quality assurance.

The inspections looked at schools across the emirate and found major areas of concern.

Teaching and learning mathematics in primary grades in many schools was lacking and the report described “generally low achievement” in public and private schools.

“Achievement in mathematics is significantly below international standards,” it said.

One parent whose son, 11, attends a private school, welcomed Adec’s transparency but asked it to identify schools found to be lagging and the criteria used in rating them.

“It’s good to know results of the inspections but they should have provided a list of schools instead of numbers, which could create anxiety among parents,” she said. “Schools are inspected based on which standards? And how accurate are their findings?”

Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (Timss) exam results show that pupils have lost “considerable” ground by Grade 4. And Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) test results show that the slow progress in early years continues in later grades.

The study found that teaching quality needed improvement in all areas analysed, and maths teachers required “further development”, but there was inadequate support for that.

Children’s skills in maths also needed to improve, it said, and school leaders must acknowledge the weaknesses and provide more and better-trained classroom assistants.

Special-needs support in all schools was found to be lacking compared with international standards, the report said.

The main findings were that there was inadequate awareness and understanding of SEN, or special education needs. There were “insufficient coordinators to work with staff” and “identification and assessment processes need improvement”.

The study said schools must “ensure that curricula are adapted and modified for SEN students and their needs are accommodated in lessons and develop rigorous methods of measuring, tracking and evaluating SEN students’ progress”.

Schools should also have more parental involvement and include special-needs pupils in all aspects of school life.

Another report, Private Schools Forum 2015 to 2016, showed some progress in the overall performance.

In Cycle 1, 72 per cent of the 127 schools inspected were rated as needing significant improvement, with just 11 per cent described as high performing and 17 per cent as satisfactory.

Cycle 2 inspected 146 schools, with 76 per cent rated in the lowest category, 15 per cent as A and 19 per cent as B. In Cycle 3, of the 183 schools inspected 14 per cent were in the top-performing category and 42 per cent in Category B.

Overall, 74 schools improved at least one inspection grade compared with the previous cycle, the report said.