(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)
It seems the only word is "up" for Indian curriculum schools in Dubai, as a new report from the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) has proven that school leadership is going from strength to strength here.
Of the 30 Indian curriculum schools inspected (spanning 78,415 students) in Dubai during the 2016-17 cycle, two were rated 'outstanding' - Gems Modern Academy and The Indian High School - three 'very good', 10 'good', 11 'acceptable' and four were found to be 'weak'.
None of the Indian curriculum schools were rated as 'very weak' - meaning 65 per cent (51,301) of all students in Dubai Indian curriculum schools now attend schools that have been rated good or better. That's a 20 per cent rise from when inspections started in 2009.
Additionally, more than 10,000 students joined good or better schools in 2016-2017 as a new enrolment or transfer, and early years learning has also undergone great improvement too, the report said.
Speaking to Khaleej Times about the positive inspection results, Dr Ashok Kumar, CEO of the Indian High School (IHS), credited the school's sixth consecutive outstanding rating to the teamwork of its "management, staff, parents and students".
When asked if he would now opt to skip the next inspection process in exchange for mentoring and guiding weaker performing schools in the emirate, he confirmed they would be. "Yes, we look forward to collaborating with other schools and sharing our strengths."
In 2016, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) introduced the abundance initiative, which is a mutually beneficial alliance of schools committed to sharing knowledge and practices with others in Dubai.
Commenting on his school's achievement, Kumar said it scored strongly with reference to the National Agenda in the areas of highly effective leadership, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores, no student dropouts and a smooth transition of students directly to university.
"The effectiveness of leadership at the IHS has been outstanding since the first inspection, and our PISA scores have been significantly higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) scaled average till date," he added.
The only other school rated outstanding this time around was Gems Modern Academy, of which Nargish Khambatta is the principal.
This academic year, the school bypassed the formal inspection process but instead submitted a School Self-Evaluation document.
"As we were not inspected but required to submit a self-evaluation, I'm pleased that it was deemed accurate and the outcome reflects the confidence the KHDA has in our outstanding practices," Khambatta told Khaleej Times.
Based on the school's 2015-16 DSIB report, Khambatta said its progress towards the National Agenda targets was found to be "above expectations". And teachers' skills as facilitators were also lauded.
Additionally, Khambatta said the school's successful approach at aligning the curriculum to meet the requirements of the TIMSS and PISA tests, as well as its focus on technology-enhanced learning made them strong performers.
"Our students use information and communication technology (ICT) and other resources to develop their skills of research and critical thinking." Going forward, she said the school's plan is to be inspected every other year.
"We would like to be inspected every alternate year to give us time to reflect on the feedback of the inspectors and enhance our practices. This will enable us to continue to work with other schools as well."
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director-general of the KHDA, said it is "continuing to see improvements in leadership in Indian curriculum schools".
Key inspection indicators from the report also showed important improvements in the provision for students with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), which highlighted a marked leap up in facilitating an inclusive culture in schools here.
Speaking about the results, Fatma Belrehif, executive director of the DSIB, said since the inspections started eight years ago, Dubai schools have seen "great improvements".
Parents say they're thrilled as well as worried
The key messages report by the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) on Thursday may have outlined great improvements in Indian curriculum schools here, but parents are now waiting for the onset of yet more tuition fee hikes.
One parent Khaleej Times spoke to, whose son attends a school which obtained a 'very good' rating, said improved school progress is often marred for them.
"When any parent sends their child to school, they want to ensure the institution does well on the inspections scale, but now I'm just waiting to hear if my son's school fees will rise for 2017/18."
According to the KHDA's School Fees Framework, schools will be eligible to apply for increases to fees according two factors. All schools can implement the Educational Cost Index (ECI) percentage (this is calculated on a regular basis and is announced by Dubai Statistics Centre, but for schools who achieved a rating of 'good' and above, the increase will be as per the rating. Smriti J, who has two daughters in a good-rated school here said it is a catch-22 for some parents when it comes to inspections results. "If my children's school receive a higher rating, I would be thrilled on one hand but anxious on the other. Because if a school jumps up a rating, they will for sure raise the fees, a financial burden for parents."
When asked, Ashok Kumar of Indian High School about the school fees, he said: "The fee increase will be in accordance with KHDA norms and regulations."
However, Nargish Khambatta from Gems Modern Academy declined to comment.
Kelly Clarke Originally from the UK, Kelly Clarke joined Khaleej Times in November 2012. She has a keen interest in humanitarian issues and took over as the dedicated Education Reporter in August 2016. In her spare time she loves to travel off the beaten track, and often write about her quirky experiences of pastures new. Kelly received her BA Honours in Journalism from Middlesex University, UK in 2008. Before joining Khaleej Times she worked as a Supervising Editor for three Healthcare titles in London. @KellyAnn_Clarke
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