Up to 20 private schools to open in Dubai in 2017

DUBAI // Up to 20 private schools are expected to open in the emirate in the next academic year, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority said.

There are 173 private schools in Dubai. Eleven opened in 2014 and last year, and seven will open this year, the authority said.

Abdulla Al Karam, director general of the authority, said the number of schools opening in Dubai next year was expected to reach a record.

Mr Al Karam said that reflected investors’ confidence in the education sector, thanks in part to transparency in school inspections and dialogue between the authority and investors.

The private education sector in Dubai achieved Dh6.1 billion in tuition fees for this academic year, up from Dh5.35bn in the previous year.

Private school revenues make up 1.7 per cent of Dubai’s gross domestic product.

Mr Al Karam said strong private education not only supplied Dubai with well-educated people, it also drew talented people and their families to the emirate.

The statistics were released on Saturday as part of the authority's report, entitled The Story Unfolds ... Private Education in Dubai 2015-2016.

There are 65 British, 32 Indian and 31 American schools in Dubai.

British schools have 84,612 pupils, the Indian schools 78,716 and the American schools 48,493.

Enrolment in British schools has risen 40 per cent since 2011-2012, lower than the 55 per cent growth of International Baccalaureate schools.

“The growth in these curriculums reflects the high quality of the schools,” said Mr Al Karam.

“Many UK and IB curriculum schools are rated as good or outstanding, and I think that is why we see growing numbers of student enrolments there.”

Dubai’s student population stands at 265,299. About two-thirds of Emirati students are in private schools.