DUBAI // Parents and the public are being asked to sit a school exam in an attempt to boost education levels in the country.
The Test4Good campaign, which was launched by private school regulator Knowledge and Human Development Authority on Monday, aims to encourage parents and adults to be more involved in understanding national education targets.
“We want to spread the message to the community that education is everyone’s responsibility,” said Fatma Al Marri, the chief executive of Dubai Schools Agency at KHDA. “It’s the whole community. We all need to work together towards meeting the targets that we need to fulfil.”
Test4Good will be run by the emirate’s private schools and requires parents and community members to pay a donation to charity, and take a shortened Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or the Programme for International Student Assessment, tests. Most 15-year-old pupils, as well as those in Grades 4 and 8, will be sitting for these exams in March and April across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda calls for all schools in the country to place among the top 15 countries in TIMSS, which tests fourth and eighth graders in maths and science, and rank in the top 20 countries in Pisa, which assesses the skills of 15-year-olds in maths, science and reading.
When the UAE last participated in the tests, it was 23rd out of 42 countries in TIMSS, in 2011, and ranked 46th out of 65 countries in Pisa, in 2012.
“We basically have less than six years to do this,” said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, the director general of KHDA, of improving the rankings. “What we know is if we get further involvement of parents, then I think the kids will take it seriously.”
He said in the TIMSS and Pisa exams you did not get a pass or fail mark that affected your final grade or report card.
“But it’s an exam that tells where the country is and how proud we are about our system. So it’s a different pass and fail,” he said. “It’s actually more serious. It is about passing or failing for your nation.”
Each school’s performance in the international tests is evaluated as part of the KHDA’s annual school inspections. Schools have been given individual targets, said Mrs Al Marri.
“It is our responsibility to take the Emirates up there, as we always believe – our government believes – we have to be number one. It is a challenge. That’s why we work with schools very closely,” she said. “Every school has to have its own targets. We identified the gaps and every school was given advice how to close that gap until 2021.”
Schools are being asked to involve as many parents and community members as possible in writing the tests by April 15. The exam is about five pages long and takes about 20 minutes to finish.
Donations will go to the Dubai Autism Centre, which still needs Dh10 million to complete building work at its new site before it opens in autumn. Schools that best involve the community and raise funds will be honoured at a ceremony later this year.
rpennington@thenational.ae
