New school group to be formed in Dubai

Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment will improve quality of education in emirate, officials say

How the revamped Rashid School for Boys will look. It will be part of the Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment. Photo: Dubai Media Office

A new schools group is being set up in Dubai to boost the quality of education offered to Emiratis and residents, and help prepare pupils for university abroad, it was announced on Friday.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has issued a law to set up the Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment, to enhance the quality of education provided to citizens and residents attending schools that are part of the establishment, Dubai Media Office said.

The new establishment will be responsible for the Rashid School for Boys and the Latifa School for Girls, which are currently overseen by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai.

It will also seek to attract highly qualified teachers and to promote Dubai's education sector.

Rashid School for Boys and Latifa School for Girls are two of Dubai's oldest schools and are located in Nad Al Sheba.

Both are currently closed for major refurbishments and are set to reopen next year.

Latifa School, which opened in 1982, offers the British curriculum and the Arabic and Islamic curriculum approved by the UAE Ministry of Education.

Rashid School, established in 1986, was a secondary school until 2003, when it opened an elementary section.

The establishment will also create its own schools in the emirate and abroad — either on its own or through a partnership with the private sector.

The Rashid and Latifa Schools Establishment will be tasked with developing and implementing educational programmes up to a secondary level, officials said.

It will also provide degrees to pupils who complete accredited educational programmes.

All staff from the two schools will be transferred to the new establishment.