The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) have released the 2015-2016 School Inspection Key Findings report, which ranks each private school in the emirate and gives them a grade. The good news is many schools improved (but some did go downhill).

The report highlights the performance of schools on the basis of curriculum as well as the quality of school governance, leadership, self-evaluation and more.

Throughout Dubai, there are a total of 173 private schools – filled with 265,299 students – with 90 per cent of Dubai’s students attend private school.

*More: A third of Dubai’s middle school aged students feel ‘hopeless’*

For the 2015-2016 KHDA report, 149 of the 173 private schools were inspected, housing a total of 253,319 students.

The KHDA ranks schools on a scale of Weak, Acceptable, Good, Very Good and Outstanding.

The 5 highest ranked schools in Dubai were:

  1. Kings’ School Dubai
  2. GEMS Wellington International School
  3. Jumeirah College
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School
  5. Dubai College

The 5 lowest ranked schools in Dubai were:

  1. H.H. Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistani School Dubai (English Language)
  2. Gulf Model School
  3. Crescent English School
  4. Islamic School for Training & Education
  5. Dubai Arabian American Private School

How did Dubai schools do this year?

This year, 28 schools improved their overall rating, with five declining. The report found that 61 per cent of Dubai’s students are now in schools that offer a ‘good or better’ quality of education. In 2008-2009, only 30 per cent of students were. That’s good news.

Out of everyone involved, 11 per cent of students attended ‘outstanding’ schools, 14 per cent attended ‘very good’ schools, 36 per cent attended ‘good’ schools, 35 per cent attended ‘acceptable’ schools and 4 per cent attended ‘weak’ schools.

How well are Dubai schools run?

With regards to school governance, 58 per cent of schools received ‘good or better’ rankings, with 28 per cent of schools seen as having ‘acceptable’ governance and 14 per cent having ‘weak’ administration.

This is much better than what it was like back in 2008-2009 when only 34 per cent of schools had ‘good or better’ governance, and 38 per cent were seen as ‘acceptable’ and 28 per cent ‘weak’.

For more information on the 2015-2016 KHDA report and ranking for all schools, head here.

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