DUBAI // The Dubai schools inspection report, now in its second year, does more than simply rate each school in the emirate: the 120-page document contains a frank overview of the education sector. One issue highlighted this year is the brevity of the UAE school year compared to other developed countries. Public schools, the report says, have around 175 days in the school year, but the amount of time devoted to classes daily "is short", while the school year "is shortened still further by the widespread absenteeism that occurs after end-of-year examinations".
So while students in Singapore and Japan attend school for 220 instructional days each year, and those in the UK and Australia for about 190 days, the UAE public school year is well below 175 days. One American consultant who has worked in UAE public schools for the past three years, said absenteeism is a major issue. "Students don't go to school enough. They say they have 160 school days but actually they don't. Attendance is normally good, up to 93 per cent.
"But problems come before Eid, and before and after the midterm break. There is a sharp drop in attendance - so there you're dealing with four weeks." With the fall in attendance at the year end, many students missed eight weeks. "That is consistent in all schools I've been involved in here," he said. "It's bad - you're missing eight weeks over the year." Part of the problem was the lack of penalties, he said. "We can only send letters and make home calls. We can't make students come."
Yousef al Shehhi, the principal of the Al Rams Secondary School in Ras al Khaimah, said attendance was normally at 97 or 98 per cent, but dropped before the holidays and exams. "A percentage of students are absent before exams," he said. "Attendance is 40 per cent before Eid." Some schools, like the Institute for Applied Technology, now have incentive schemes whereby students are given a Dh800 monthly stipend to go to school, and docked money if they miss class.
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