Duabi: Dubai: Never mind the pandemic, enrolments at new schools in Dubai have shown an increase of 14 per cent in the last academic year. And the average fees paid by a student in Dubai is Dh29,953, according to Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)’s private school landscape reprt for the year 2020-21.
Released on Tuesday, the data shows 50 per cent of all srudents pay less than Dh20,000 a year as turion fees. It also also shows that 53 per cent of all students in Dubai have returned to face-to-face learning, while 47 per cent continue to study through full-time distance learning.
In terms of students by curriculum, UK schools topped the charts with 106,773 students, followed by 73990students in Indian schools, 44,971 students in American schools and 17,882 sudents in IB curriculum schools.
Four new schools
Four new schools opened in the current academic year.
According to data published by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the 30 new private schools that opened in the emirate between the academic years of 2017-18 and 2019-20 saw student numbers increasing by 14 per cent in the last academic year. Private school enrolment for students in grades 1 to 12 in the current academic year saw a slight decrease of 1.7 per cent, compared to the 2019-20 academic year.
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of KHDA, said: “Dubai’s school sector faced unprecedented circumstances this year. Despite setbacks, the emirate’s school sector has not only proven its ability to bounce back from challenges, but also recovered stronger and better. New schools continue to open in Dubai, new families continue to move to Dubai, and our educational community continues to deliver a high quality of education.
“We’re grateful to the teachers and school leaders who have been so devoted to their students and their work; to the parents who have placed their trust in Dubai and our schools; and to the students who have shown such courage and optimism throughout this period. Our community will continue to work together in the weeks and months ahead to build a more resilient, future-focused private school sector.”
Schools have demonstrated their ability to deliver learning in a safe and healthy environment amidst the current circumstances. With many schools transitioning to 100 per cent face-to-face learning, confidence among schools and families to return to a normal learning experience is rising.
Surprise visits
The landscape report includes data on the surprise visits conducted by the KHDA team to ensure that private schools were adhering to Dubai Government rules for health & safety at school. In September and October, the team made 1,148 visits to schools.
The KHDA landscape report, previously an annual publication, will be updated and released three times during this academic year. Upcoming reports are due in winter 2020 and spring 2021.
