Nikita Keswani with her parents as she receives her A level results at Jumeirah College in Dubai. Sarah Dea/The National
Nikita Keswani with her parents as she receives her A level results at Jumeirah College in Dubai. Sarah Dea/The National

Upward trend in A-level results of UAE students



DUBAI // Nikita Keswani, who nervously played with her hair while queuing to get her A-level results today, was just one of many pupils across the country waiting to find out how they fared.

The 18-year-old Indian student at Jumeirah College in Dubai jumped into her mother's arms when she found out she had achieved two A*s, an A, and a B.

"I've been nervous all summer for this," she said, as her parents shed tears of joy. "I'm so thrilled and happy that all the hard work and months of revision paid off."

Nikita will head to the University of Birmingham in October to study medicine.

"I'm really excited because medicine has been my dream since I was a kid, and I finally made it," she said.

"This year, the grade boundaries went up really high for Edexcel, so exam papers were harder and they were more different than I've ever seen them before. But I can't wait to start university."

Emma Langley, an 18-year-old Briton, rejoiced at her results.

"I got three As and I plan on going to Southampton University to study midwifery," she said. "It was ridiculously hard to secure a place because there were 1,000 people applying and only 23 applicants got it, so it was very challenging."

Results for schools in the UAE showed an upwards trend, with many schools achieving a 100 per cent pass rate.

All of the 113 Jumeirah College pupils who sat their A levels  passed.

This year, 44 per cent of their grades were between A and A*, up from 30 per cent last year and from 40 per cent in previous years.

"These are our best examination results ever, so we are really excited – we are over the moon," said Fiona Cottam, the principal.

"We've always hoped for outstanding results for the students but I think, emotionally, we are absolutely thrilled to pieces for the students in terms of their successes and where they are now moving on to university."

The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi also reported improved results compared with last year, with almost 90 per cent of grades awarded between A* and C, up from 87 per cent.

Results in subjects that showed the biggest increase, in terms of A* and A passes, included economics, at 73 per cent, English at 56 per cent and chemistry at 45 per cent.

"I am thrilled by these results," said Helen Greene, the school's head of sixth form.

"I am especially pleased that the majority of our students have secured their first-choice places at UK universities, as well as at leading universities in the US, Canada and Abu Dhabi."

Jingwen Dai, a Chinese pupil, was one of the top performers at the British School Al Khubairat, achieving two A*s and two As.

"I was quite surprised but really happy," said Jingwen, who will study land economy at Cambridge University. "It was very difficult.

"The process is very tough because you're up against some of the best people in the world, but our school helped us a lot."

Dubai British School also broke records, with 33 per cent of pupils achieving A*s and As, up from 24 per cent last year.

"We are absolutely delighted with the results," said Tanya Drew, the school's head of secondary. "Over 80 per cent of grades are level A* to C, so we feel there will be very happy people out there."

Most of their pupils will attend universities in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Tamer Hijaz, a 19-year-old Polish-Palestinian, was one of the top pupils, with two A*s and an A.

"I got better than I expected," he said. "I plan on going to Leeds University to study chemical engineering."

New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)

British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell 
 

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
65
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Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

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Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.

•   Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid

When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid

Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush

Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”

A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.

“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

Directed by: Craig Gillespie

Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry

4/5

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5