Council members call for closer scrutiny of private sector schools

Abu Dhabi: The role of private schools came under scrutiny at the National Consultative Council yesterday, with members demanding the Ministry of Education to have tighter supervision of the sector.

According to members, there is a lack of proper supervision of private schools on their curriculum and other education programmes from the Ministry of Education. A member also referred to the content of a sixth grade book at a private school that insulted Arabs and Islam.

The issue was debated following a joint motion tabled by members at yesterday's session, demanding a full discussion on the role of private schools in educational programme of the country.

Teaching systems

Members suggested in their motion a full examination of private sector education, including problems of curriculum, buildings, fee structures, emiratisation of jobs in the sector and teaching systems.

Speaker Abdullah Mohammad Al Masaood decided the scope of the issue should be wider, taking the entire education system of the country for discussion, for which a committee was announced.

"There is a need to organise these schools' curriculum and learning program," Member Gaith Hamel Al Gaith said.

Gaith expressed regret that there is little supervision of some private schools by the Ministry of Education concerning their foreign educational programmes and systems. He also raised the issue of a book taught in one of the American curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi confiscated for its offensive content against Islam and breaching Arab rights.

Gaith said: "The book not only offends Arabs and Muslims, it also glorifies Jews." He said the ministry should ensure no school is allowed to offend any religion.

The member also suggested since a large number of UAE students are now going to private schools, the process of emiratisation should also be implemented in the section.

"It is not acceptable for these schools with hundreds of UAE students not having a single national teacher. There are lots of unemployed UAE people who are fit for such jobs. Therefore it must be made mandatory for private schools to employ a certain number of UAE national teaching staff," he suggested.

Language programmes

Mohammad Rashid Al Nassiri, another member, said many private schools teach geography of other countries in their social study books or different social and cultural values in their moral studies books.

He said there is a problem with learning programmes of private schools that need to be solved. He suggested both private and public sector schools need deeper partnership and more effective supervision from the Ministry of Education.

Al Nassiri also referred to problems in public schools, which, he added lack good English language programmes, causing problem for national students to further their education abroad or in private colleges and universities.