DUBAI // Private school inspections start in October, with a focus on raising standards in mathematics and science and better integrating them into the curriculum.
“There will be a particular focus on raising attainment in mathematics and science,” said Jameela Al Muhairi, chief of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, in the agency’s handbook for this school year.
“In addition, it is anticipated that schools will use the analyses of international tests to guide their development plans.”
There are 243,715 pupils – 30,994 of them Emiratis – in 158 private schools in Dubai.
Inspectors have been monitoring the schools and analysing their performances for the past six years.
The schools cover 15 curriculums including British, American, Indian, International Baccalaureate, UAE national, German, French, Pakistani and Philippine.
This year there will also be a renewed focus on how schools should provide for students with special needs, the progress of Emirati students and assessment of Arabic teaching. “The education of students with special educational needs remains a priority,” Ms Al Muhairi said.
“DSIB will continue to encourage inspectors to support school development during inspections.
“Inspectors engage in professional dialogue with all staff to highlight strengths and discuss areas for improvement. This interaction will be embedded further this year.”
The handbook says the two main objectives are for the nation to be among the 15 top performers in Timss – Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study – and among 20 highest countries in the Pisa, or Programme for International Student Assessment, by 2021.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority has encouraged schools to achieve goals by helping pupils to use maths in daily situations, understand concepts, procedures and improve reasoning.
They will also be asked to use scientific methods, describe phenomena based on scientific knowledge and communicate evidence found.
The annual assessments are generally welcomed by parents.
“Children benefit from continuous assessment but it should not interfere with school activity or increase students’ workload by making them produce more charts and projects to make schools look good,” said Sainath Parathasarthy, whose children study in an Indian curriculum school.
“I wish the inspections were a surprise and unannounced because that would be the true judge of a school.”
Students with special needs became a focus of the DSIB handbook in 2010.
This year, inspections will identify special-needs pupils, look into inclusive teaching methods and assess the effectiveness of a school’s monitoring techniques for them.
Most reports will have a separate section that will comment on the provision and outcomes for Emirati pupils, unless a school has very few local students.
Inspectors will study the Emirati students’ progress, attitude, behaviour, attendance, involvement in school activities, relevance of the curriculum and the extent to which parents are involved in their children’s education and career.
There are 12 private schools that have been assessed by the DSIB as “outstanding”, 57 “good”, 64 “acceptable” and eight “unsatisfactory”.
rtalwar@thenational.ae