Dubai: Private schools in Dubai must raise pupils’ performance levels in maths and science if they plan on meeting the UAE’s national agenda goals by 2021, says a report by Dubai’s educational authority.

The report, titled “Inspection handbook 2014-15” is available now on the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) website.

The handbook recommends that schools should focus on fulfilling the agenda put forward by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, regarding the UAE’s ranking in international assessments.

“Inspectors will evaluate how well each school is addressing the National Agenda targets. This will be measured through the curriculum and teaching, and how effective the provision is in raising attainment in these areas,” the report read.

Shaikh Mohammad’s agenda focuses on two objectives:

The UAE will be among the 15 highest performing countries in TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study).

The UAE will be among the 20 highest performing countries in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment).

To help schools meet the objectives the report said all schools received individual detailed PISA 2012 and TIMSS 2011 reports and the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) has provided workshops to assist schools in their efforts to raise standards.

“Achieving the targets means that students will be able to apply mathematics appropriately to everyday situations and ask questions that can be answered using scientific methods,”

Earlier this year Dr Abdullah Al Karam, Director-General of KHDA, called on principals to work on fulfilling the UAE’s national education targets.

“We have been witnessing linear progress, what we need to meet this target is an exponential growth. It is no longer about making parents or students happy, it is about putting Dubai on top,” he said.

Al Karam said principals will have the biggest role in making sure this target is met in six years.

To fulfil the targets in maths, students should use mathematical concepts, facts, procedures and reasoning, and interpret and evaluate mathematical outcomes. In science, students should be able to describe, explain and predict phenomena based on scientific knowledge, and interpret and communicate evidence and conclusions.

 

Special Needs Education

 

In addition to meeting the national agenda targets, inspectors will also focus on special educational needs

The report said these students will be judged alongside their peers, however, additional consideration will be taken into account by the inspectors when evaluating.

“Inspectors will take into account the school’s admission procedures for students with special educational needs. The procedures should align with the expectations of international best practice,” read the report.

The identification of a student’s special needs is another key starting point for inspectors. Schools must ensure that these needs are accurately and wholly identified as early as possible in order for strategies to be effective.

Inspectors will also evaluate how the curriculum is modified for students once their needs have been accurately identified and will consider the effectiveness of the school’s monitoring strategies on the progress of students with special educational needs.

Other areas of focus that inspectors will take into account include early year learning (mainly Kkndergarten or foundation stage) and school leader performance, to name a few.

To view the full report, visit http://www.khda.gov.ae