The UAE has invested a lot of money and effort in improving and expanding higher education projects across the country.
Despite this, our survey reveals that an overwhelming majority of YouGov respondents prefer to send their children outside the UAE for higher education. They believe this will give them a higher standard of education and better job prospects.
YouGov polled 689 residents based in the UAE, 390 of whom had children studying here, while 298 did not. Seventy three per cent of the respondents were of Pakistani and Indian origin, in the salary bracket of Dh7,800 to Dh14,700 per month.
Half the Indian and Pakistani expatriate population in the UAE prefers to send their children to either the US or UK for higher education. The rest consider India to be the best option as they feel it offers both "low cost" and "quality" education.
Our previous edition of the survey had concluded that despite the UAE making great advancements in the field of education over the past few decades, more investment was required for further growth in the school system.
Issues like career counselling and internships were of concern to the majority of parents who took part in the survey.
Gulf News Most parents feel the quality of teaching in the UAE's schools is "fairly good" and are optimistic when it comes to the general standard across the country. |
Top choice
Most parents in the second YouGov survey said they would prefer to send their children to other countries for higher education. The top choice is India, perhaps reflective of the majority of respondents with an Asian background.
The UK and US are in second place, followed by Canada and Australia.
The majority of respondents justify their choices by saying they seek "higher standard of education" for their children. Also present in their minds is the thought of ensuring "better job opportunities".
Some see it as a "family preference" while others believe studying abroad will guarantee a "gateway to a new world" for their kids.
The results are interesting in view of the fact that the UAE is investing a lot in new educational projects, aiming to make it a hub for quality higher education in the region.
College costs also played a role in the choices made by many parents. Some said they would send their children outside because "education in the UAE is too expensive". They felt institutions in countries such as India offered international standards with an affordable price tag.
Half the parents feel that when their children study abroad, a blending of cultures will occur. This group includes the majority of Western expatriate respondents, who agreed that sending their kids to study abroad would allow them to absorb a new culture.
However, 30 per cent of the remaining respondents feel international exposure would mean "dilution" of their cultural identity.
There is a consensus amongst parents that sending their children oversees to seek higher education results in "a mix of good and bad exposure".
Within the existing education system, boarding schools are considered limited in number. YouGov respondents are nearly divided on whether they believe boarding should be made more common in UAE schools, whether it's daily, weekly or by term.
Choice of subjects
This split is also present when analysing the response on a gender basis 42 per cent of the male respondents were in favour of more boarding schools, while the figure was 47 per cent among female respondents.
Additionally, people with the lowest income (Dh3,900 to 7,800 per month) overwhelmingly said no to boarding schools.
YouGov also asked the parents to think about subjects that aid the development of a country such as the UAE. They had a choice between life sciences, technology, business studies, pure sciences, arts or humanities.
For many parents, technology was the first choice; unlike pure or life sciences, knowledge of modern technology is more in line with a technologically advanced region and a more globalised world. This choice factors highly among all groups.
Moreover, parents did stick to the two traditional choices, mathematics and English, as subjects that should be compulsory for graduation.
The fact that respondents could choose only 2 out of a list of 6 subjects might have contributed to the low numbers associated with Arabic studies. Less than 10 per cent thought Arabic should be compulsory.
Some parents offered suggestions such as the introduction of business studies with emphasis on administrative skills and technology. Others were keen on the teaching of "etiquette and good manners".
| For your children's higher education, would you prefer that they ... | |
| % | |
| Study in the UAE | 20 |
| Study abroad | 77 |
| Don't know | 3 |
| Please specify where you would most prefer your child to be educated? | |
| % | |
| UK | 24 |
| US | 24 |
| Australia | 8 |
| Canada | 8 |
| New Zealand | 1 |
| Switzerland | 0 |
| Germany | 0 |
| Middle East | 1 |
| India | 30 |
| Pakistan | 1 |
| Philippines | 1 |
| Other | 1 |
| Why is this? | |
| % | |
| Higher standard of education | 55 |
| Better job opportunities | <
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