Dubai schools group 'should not be self-serving'

Dubai: Investors are concerned that the Dubai Private Schools Group (DPSG) will become a lobby group to protect its self-interests, and parents fear the move will give private schools unprecedented bargaining power with the government.

The DPSG, currently being formed under the aegis of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, aims to 'provide a common platform to discuss measures to enhance operational efficiency and quality standards of private schools in Dubai.'

The group strives to represent the collective voice of investors in the sector and act as a forum for key policy issues.

However, many private education providers who spoke to Gulf News said they were not consulted by the founding members and hence would watch the developments cautiously.

Ta'aleem, the second biggest education group in the UAE said they heard about the initiative through a press release from the Dubai Chamber.

"We hope that it is a government-backed initiative for creating direct and effective channels of communication from private education providers to government decision makers with the best interests in mind for all stakeholders, especially parents and students. We would also hope that such a group would seize the opportunity to work collaboratively towards a greater vision where schools play their part in establishing the city as 'a premier global knowledge hub'. It would be disappointing if this opportunity was missed and the group became a lobby for the promotion of self-interest," said Clive Pierrepont, Director of Communications and Marketing at Ta'aleem.

Sunil John, Spokesperson for the Group, and CEO of Asda'a Burson Marsteller, told Gulf News that the group will serve the interests of all players in the private education sector in Dubai.

"Parents will be key stakeholders of the Dubai Private Schools Group and the group will be in constant interaction with them to ensure the best interests of students and parents. Parents should feel confident that the group will focus on common interests and share best practices that will benefit students across curricula as well as different budget segments of the sector."

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) welcomed the move as a positive initiative but urged the group to give parents an important role to play as they are the recipients of the services offered.

"We think this forum is a very positive step. At KHDA we have been asking all along for our stakeholders to have a means of communicating with each other in a well-managed way.

"We want a sophisticated platform from which school owners, principals, teachers and parents can all talk to each other about education and the education sector in Dubai," said Dr Abdullah Al Karam, chairman of the board of directors and director- general at KHDA.