Dubai: In a welcome spinoff from the COVID-19 pandemic, almost two in three (61 per cent) parents of students in Dubai schools said they were more involved in their children’s education during the pandemic, a new report suggests.
The lessons learned so far by Dubai’s teachers and school leaders during the pandemic have been detailed in a new report released by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) on Wednesday.
Also, 21 per cent of parents said they would prefer if their child could continue his or her education through distance learning methods once the pandemic is over. Apart from a few exceptions on medical grounds, all students in Dubai private schools have returned physically to classrooms on campus.
Designed to be used as a reference, the report sets out what worked well for teachers, parents and students during the period of distance learning, what could have worked better, and makes recommendations for further innovations.
Lessons learnt
Fatma Belrehif, CEO of Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau at KHDA, said: “The education community learned a great deal in its response to the challenges presented by the pandemic, especially in areas of student and staff wellbeing; the provision of distance and blended learning; and the key role of educators working from home and school. This report applies these lessons to how we could experience teaching and learning in the future.”
Fatma Belrehif, CEO of Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau at KHDA, said: “The education community learned a great deal in its response to the challenges presented by the pandemic, especially in areas of student and staff wellbeing; the provision of distance and blended learning; and the key role of educators working from home and school. This report applies these lessons to how we could experience teaching and learning in the future.”
According to new data released in the report, nine out of 10 parents (90 per cent) were very satisfied with the handling of the pandemic by schools, KHDA and government entities.
The report also shed light on key initiatives rolled out to support parents, teachers and students during the distance learning period including #InThisTogetherDubai, WhatWorksX and positive parenting workshops.
-Proportion of pupils in Grades 6-9 who were positive about their emotional
engagement with their teacher rose from 59 per cent to 70 per cent from 2019 to 2020.
-For Grades 10 to 12, the proportion climbed from 57 to 65 per cent.
Parents’ Perspectives
-With the pandemic, 61 per cent of parents said their role in their children’s education has been much more involved.
-29 per cent said their role was about the same; 10 per cent said it was less involved.
-57 per cent said their child learns better onsite; 26 per cent said remotely; and 17 per cent said it made no difference.
The full report is available on the KHDA website.
The majority of findings in the report are based on the outcomes of the April 2021 Reflection and Review. It also refers to the Distance Learning Evaluation (DLE) of all Dubai private schools carried out in May 2020, the annual Dubai Student Wellbeing Census and the annual parents’ survey. Each of these was conducted by KHDA.
