A new survey of what expatriate parents really think of the state of education in the UAE shows 42% are generally happy with the quality of education compared to their home country.
Results were revealed at the ongoing International and Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) conference in Dubai. The survey, conducted by WhichSchoolAdvisor, a website offering information on schools in the UAE, asked over 1,000 expatriate parents about their school choices – who are the happiest parents in terms of their perception of the quality of education their children are getting, if the introduction of new schools make parents more or less likely to change schools, and what are the top three criteria for parents in choosing a school.
According to to the results, parents are generally satisfied with the quality of private school education in the UAE, saying it is on the same level as those in their home countries. That said, 42% of those surveyed also said that schools in the Emirates are still not on par with international standards. About 16% of parents whose children have attended state schools or their equivalent are happy with UAE schools but, only 4% of parents whose children went to private schools elsewhere are happy.
Quality of education is of paramount concern for parents, with 28% of the respondents citing academic results as the top factor for their choice of school, followed by reputation (21%) and price 19%). This means parents are willing to pay for quality education, unfortunately there is a dearth of information on academic results from schools.
International and private education experts have gathered in Dubai for the IPSEF Middle East edition to assess challenges and opportunities facing operators, administrators and other key stakeholders in the education sector in the region.
