The surge in the number of international citizens moving to live in Dubai back when the emirate was booming was exceptionally good news for parents on one particular level; there was a subsequent rise in the number of international schools being established and opening their doors to expatriate children!
The majority of schools are still in operation in the emirate despite the recession, and some have very good reputations and offer children a high-class education. However, the choice is vast, so how can you go about finding a school for your children in Dubai as an expatriate parent with so many options open to you?
In this article we’re going to provide information about the schools in Dubai, and provide you with a checklist for consideration when researching your options for your particular child. Any decision you make has to be right for you and your children, therefore careful consideration has to be given to finding the right school.
In a previous series of articles in our Living in Dubai section we introduced readers to the range of kindergartens, primary schools, secondary education establishments in Dubai as well as the colleges and universities on offer in the emirate, so we’re not going to repeat our listings in this article, but we are going to help you find your way around the maze that is ‘international education in Dubai.’
The first thing to note is that the education sector, just like all other sectors in the emirate, has been impacted by the poor state of the economy. The government in the UAE is actively contemplating putting a freeze on school fee increases for the next two years to help struggling parents, but that has been shot down in flames by one of the largest operators of international schools in the region as being ‘damaging for business.’
The GEMS chain of schools has openly stated that they will have to close schools is this fee freeze comes into effect.
It should be noted however that the schools GEMS are threatening to close are those mainly affecting Asian families in the region – and whilst that does not in any way make the threatened situation acceptable on any level, it may mean it does not affect those with their children in British, American or European schools. Furthermore, it has been suggested by some that GEMS are using a relatively underhand ploy in stating that they will leave some of the more vulnerable groups of people in the emirate without schools for their children, in order to force the government to take an about turn on their decision to freeze school fee increases.
School fees in Dubai for an international education are high – and are one of the main complaints expatriates have when it comes to things affecting their cost and standard of living. A school fee freeze would allow many in the region to breathe a sigh of relief, and prevent more expats from removing their children from school and leaving the region altogether. Naturally any decision where the government attempts to ‘interfere’ and affect a business sector is controversial and will court criticism, however, ask expatriate parents in Dubai and you will realise the school fee freeze could be just what they need.
Assuming you’re contemplating a move to Dubai, or perhaps you’ve already relocated and want to bring your family to join you in the emirate, how can you go about choosing the right school for your child or children?
As stated, you have a lot of choice. You may prefer to choose a school that is accessible to your place of residence or employment if you’re already settled in the emirate, and therefore you will be guided by what’s on offer around you. If you have yet to move, it may make more sense to choose the school, and then find somewhere to live within reach of it. Bear in mind that traffic in Dubai is horrendous at rush hour – i.e., when you need to get your child to school or pick it up at home time. Therefore, choosing a school across town from your place of residence will make life unpleasant and stressful for both you and your children.
This is a point worth making here, and worth taking on board. Imagine driving for an hour across town every time you need to access your child’s school – that’s an hour there and an hour home in the morning, and an hour there and an hour back in the afternoon. Then add in all the other trips you have to make to attend meetings, events and to just drop off items your child has perhaps forgotten and you’ll realise that travelling all day just to have your child in a desirable school is no fun.
So, think carefully about the location of a school when examining it in terms of its potential suitability.
With the location issue out of the way, here is a five point checklist you can adopt when examining what’s on offer, and testing it out to see if it suits you and your child: -
1) The curriculum on offer – how close is it to that which your child is used to. Additionally, how close is it to the curriculum taught at other international schools in locations you may relocate to in the future, or the education system ‘back home’ in the event you repatriate. The key to relocating a child is to cause as little interruption to their schooling as possible if you want their education to be unaffected. So, look at each school based on the curriculum they follow.
2) Standards and achievements – whilst league tables and charts can only ever reveal so much about a given school, they are a good base indicator as to how high your student child could go within the establishment. Additionally, they are a reflection on the teaching standards and the standards of other children at the school. All are important initial indicators to a parent of whether an establishment is good enough for their child.
3) Personal recommendation from trusted friends – if you have friends, family, contacts or colleagues in Dubai, get the low-down, the gossip and the inside story from them about which schools are performing, which schools are rubbish and where children are happiest and parents most confident. Whilst people will be biased in favour of the choices they have made most of the time, you should at least be able to glean some useful insider information that can help you narrow down your shortlist.
4) Read the forums and the blogs – there are plenty of expat forums dedicated to Dubai, what’s more, there are plenty of school related blog entries from expats in the emirate. These are brilliant mines of information – though most people who write on forums tend to be complaining! So, you may get a negative view of a particular establishment only, but if it is one of your preferred choices, at least you know which issues you may need to address if your child goes to that school!
5) Visit a selection of your choices – you need to see a school in operation for yourself to see if it offers good discipline, has high standards, to see if the children appear happy, nurtured and well looked after. Speak to teachers as well as the head teacher, get a feeling for their standard of teaching and whether they are qualified enough in your opinion to teach your child.
Finally, all of this is moot and redundant if you discover that the school you ant to get your child in is oversubscribed – and trust me, even in this economic day and age, the best schools in Dubai are full. So, you need to begin your research as early as you possibly can ahead of your relocation, and you need to get your child on the waiting list of your preferred choice as soon as you possibly can.
