Dubai's private schools earn top marks for inclusive education

Three quarters of the emirate's private schools achieved a 'good' or better rating for provisions for disabled pupils

Dubai's private schools' inclusive education strategies have been assessed. The National

Almost three quarters of Dubai private schools – 74 per cent – have been ranked “good” or better for their provisions for pupils with disabilities in a new performance league table released on Monday.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the emirate's private education regulator, assessed 199 schools on the inclusive education programmes they offered in the 2022-2023 academic year.

They were the first inspections focused on inclusive learning since the 2018-19 academic year.

The KHDA said 24 schools were awarded the highest “outstanding” rating, with 48 “very good”, 75 “good”, 45 “acceptable”, and five were deemed “weak”.

The number of schools achieving the “outstanding” ranking rose from 7 per cent in 2018-19 to 12 per cent.

Dubai's private schools cater to more than 16,000 pupils with disabilities, both physical and intellectual.

Ensuring education is for all

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director general of the KHDA, hailed Dubai's schools for making significant strides in “reducing barriers to learning”.

He praised private schools in the emirates for building inclusive cultures, aimed at delivering the best standards of education to all learners.

“A true mark of a high-quality education sector is in how well it inspires and enables student of all abilities to strive for their best,” said Dr Al Karam.

“Private schools in Dubai have made great progress in reducing barriers to learning and ensuring equitable access to education.

“This improvement is not only a result of the systemic steps that school leaders have taken to promote individual learning experiences, but of the commitment of the whole school community to build a school culture and environment that nurtures achievement, personal growth and overall well-being.

“We thank teachers and school leaders for their expertise and dedication to their students, their schools and to Dubai.”

Schools were evaluated across a number of areas, with a focus on how they tailor their curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils. Sixty-six per cent achieved at least a “good” rating for curriculum modification, up 11 per cent from the previous inspection results.

The number of “outstanding” schools in this category doubled from 5 per cent to 10 per cent.

Fatma Belrehif, chief executive of Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, said schools had seen the rewards of their work to improve their offerings to pupils with disabilities.

“Schools in Dubai have worked hard to improve their provision for students of determination [the term widely used by the UAE government to describe people with disabilities] by modifying their curriculum based on students’ learning skills.

“As a result of this improved approach to curriculum design and support, students have experienced greater academic progress this year.”

A total of 199 Dubai private schools were inspected during the 2022-23 academic year. According to data released in April, 77 per cent of students attend schools rated “good” or better.

The full list of inclusive education ratings for Dubai schools is available on the KHDA website.

Drive to raise standards

The KHDA introduced new guidelines in 2019 calling for all of its schools to be equipped to cater for children with disabilities – including those with special needs – by the following year.

Officials said at the time the move was an ambitious but entirely justified target.

Under the scheme, every schoolteacher was required to be trained to support disabled pupils.

Appropriate infrastructure such as wheelchair ramps and other access-friendly facilities should be installed.

Top Dubai schools – in pictures

Dubai English Speaking School (Dess), one of the oldest schools in the country, was established in 1963 in a room of a residential villa in Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National

Located in Barsha South, Gems Dubai American Academy focuses on celebrating diversity, resilience, creativity and driving positive change. Reem Mohammed / The National

The Jumeirah English Speaking School at Arabian Ranches. The non-profit school was started in an apartment in Deira in 1975 with only 17 pupils. Stephen Lock / The National

Dubai College in Al Sufouh is one of the oldest in the city and often touted as one of the best in the emirate. Pawan Singh / The National

Gems Modern Academy, located in Nad Al Sheba 3, was founded in 1986 and is the only Indian curriculum school in Dubai to be ranked as outstanding by the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National

Located in Emirates Hills, Dubai British School has 1,171 pupils and is sought after by families. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Horizons English school, situated in Dubai’s Al Wasl area, caters to foundation stage one to Year 6, with almost 1,000 pupils enrolled. Photo: Horizons English School

Kings School Barsha is a relatively new school, opening in September 2014, and has managed to achieve a DSIB score of 'outstanding' in its last two inspections. Satish Kumar / The National

Located in Umm Suqeim, close to Burj Al Arab, Kings School Dubai offers primary education for children aged 3 to 11. Photo: Kings School

Gems Wellington International School in Al Sufouh offers both the UK curriculum and the International Baccalaureate programme. Antonie Robertson / The National

The Repton School located in Nad El Sheba is one of three branches in the UAE. Photo: Repton Dubai

Gems Jumeirah Primary School in Jumeirah 3 is one of the most sought-after primary schools in the emirate and has been rated 'outstanding' since 2010 by the KHDA. Photo: Jumeirah Primary School

Jumeirah College, a UK curriculum school located in Al Safa 1, has 1,125 pupils from 59 countries. Photo: Jumeirah College

Pupils at Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou have a consistently outstanding performance in mathematics across all ages, DSIB's latest quality indicators report showed. Pawan Singh / The National

Jumeirah English Speaking School at Al Safa 1 has a little more than 2,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai English Speaking College at Academic City was established with the aim of providing quality British education for pupils up to the age of 18 and preparing them for entry into university. Pawan Singh / The National

Victory Heights Primary School, located in the heart of the Sports City community opened in 2012. Teaching the British curriculum, it has just under 1,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National

The Nord Anglia International School Dubai, located in Al Barsha 3, teaches pupils from early years up to Year 13. Photo: Nord Anglia International School Dubai

Dubai International Academy opened in Emirates Hills in 2005. It has more than 2,600 pupils, ranging in ages from 3 to 18. Reem Mohammed / The National

Deira International School, in Al Badia, Festival City, has just over 1,800 pupils enrolled, ranging in age from 3 to 18. Photo: Deira International School