Dubai, September 13: Schools in the emirate will have to appropriate their curricula to provide relevance to the community, improve attainment and application of Islamic education in a student’s life and maintain accurate attendance records according to a new set of guidelines by the education authority for the next cycle of school inspections.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) on Saturday announced the 2009-10 framework for its second cycle of inspections at Dubai schools. In October, 80 public schools and 140 private ones including those following the Asian curriculum will be assessed by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) against key quality indicators to improve the standards of education.
“Our inspectors are preparing for the second cycle of inspections. This year we look forward to building on the good relationships we have developed with schools,” said Jameela Al Muhairi, Chief of DSIB.
The first cycle of inspections that took place last year categorised schools as Outstanding, Good, Acceptable and Unsatisfactory. The first report revealed that only 2.1 per cent of private schools made it to the outstanding grade while over 20,000 pupils in 22 schools receive unsatisfactory education with a majority being private providers.
The same categories hold this year but it is unclear if schools will be allowed to increase fees, linked to their category, as in the previous year. To form a decision, the bureau will apply seven key questions to the overall performance of the school in varied areas.
The 2009 report of schools by KHDA revealed that most students in private schools in Dubai were lagging behind in their knowledge and application of Arabic and Islamic Studies. For cycle two, Islamic studies will be termed as Islamic Education and will become the first of the key subjects to be monitored. Inspectors will look for an understanding of the relevance and impact of Islam on contemporary society and reflect upon the key messages with regard to their own lives and experiences.
An important addition to this year’s inspections is the focus on links with the community, with an emphasis on the special nature of Dubai. In the first cycle, inspectors found the level of economic and environmental understanding to be underdeveloped in most schools.
Schools will be graded on the way the curriculum is localised for relevance to students living in the emirate. Students must develop the skills of active citizenship, understanding of the multicultural nature of the society and knowledge of local and global environmental issues.
Most schools in Dubai lacked systematic attendance records and schools failed to distinguish between authorised and unauthorised absence. This year, DSIB has stressed upon 92 per cent minimum attendance record for students. Inadequacies in governance and leadership, effective teaching, independence of students and attainment in Science from kindergarten to Grade XII, noticed during the first cycle of inspections will be followed up taking into account how well schools have addressed recommendations from last year’s inspections and the self-evaluation models set in each school.
The report of each school will also take into account the feedback of parents to achieve the suitable category
–Agencies