Abu Dhabi: Parents and teachers in the UAE capital have expressed their shock at the results of a recent Deep Inspections conducted by the Abu Dhabi Educational Council (Adec), which found that the majority of Abu Dhabi schools are inadequate in a number of ways.

A total of 68 per cent of private schools in Abu Dhabi fell short of Adec's efficiency and teaching standards, it was announced last week.

The checks, which include benchmarks such as quality of teaching, efficiency of school resources to achieve teaching objectives, and ability of school management to attain set goals, were conducted by third-party inspectors from Europe as part of the 2009-2010 second annual inspection of 185 private schools in Abu Dhabi.

"I am shocked by the number. About 60 per cent is almost two thirds of the schools in the city, which is a lot. I thought it would be around 30 to 40 per cent," Dr. Claude Istanbuli, 45, a father of two boys, said.

 "One of our sons is in the Abu Dhabi International School. We're satisfied with the school at the moment in terms of dealing with students, follow-up with parents, and the curriculum," he added.

Other parents expressed similar sentiments once they learnt about the Adec inspection results.

"Two of my children are still in school here [in Abu Dhabi], and I always wonder if the standards are up to those in other developed countries. I think Adec should check whether the fees and payments are in line with the education our children receive," R.M., a Pakistani mother of four, said.

Educators were also concerned about the figures. There were however mixed reactions regarding the effectiveness of the quality checks.

"These figures did not present a good picture for the children. This number means that children do not have the life chances they should have. Adec is right to benchmark schools against such international standards," Christopher Nourse-Grewal, Principal of Al Muna Primary School, said.

However, several educators pointed out that some of Adec's standards were difficult to achieve, especially those pertaining to the need for more activities for students in higher grades.

"Many schools tend to show off in front of Adec. When the inspectors leave, they follow their own systems. They just put up a show in front of Adec because they need a good grade," G.B., a high school Hindi teacher, said.