In terms of numbers, there has been a 3.2 per cent (950 students) increase in 2013-14, from the previous academic year. The reasons cited by many students for their preference was that private schools offered a higher quality of education. This leads us to the inference that many Emirati parents believe that private education in Dubai is better than public schooling.

 

The role of public schools in a society’s progress is of critical importance as, in terms of mentoring the minds of the future, public schools have complete affinity for national objectives and vision. However, they also have to nourish their objectives with the critical ingredients that create a good school — a thorough understanding of the pedagogical imperatives, excellence of teacher skills and training, top-class school facilities, contemporary curricula, proper assessment systems and championing students to realise their all-round potential through extensive extra-curricular activities. These elements are the foundational requirements for a school to perform the feat of turning an aspiring student into a determined achiever. Arguably, private schools, underpinned by a profit-making strategy, are in a better position to cherry pick the critical ingredients for their finest quality and results, but beyond the profit factor, public schools can achieve top-class results too.

 

The Dubai government has been ceaseless in its push for quality education in its public schools and the recent years have witnessed more of them move up into higher categories of performance as assessed by the Dubai School Inspection Bureau and supported by the Dubai Schools Agency. If this momentum is kept up, it will be only a matter of time before the critical gap between private and public schools is closed and Emirati parents in Dubai are spoilt for choice with quality education options all around.