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Education in the UAE

One of the UAE’s highest priorities has alwaysbeen education. As President His Highness

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of 

the UAE, noted, “The greatest use that can be

made of wealth is to invest it in creating

generations of educated and trained people.” 

The UAE has focused on educating both menand women. In 1975, the rate of adult literacy

was 54 percent among men and 31 percent

among women. Today, literacy rates for both

genders are nearly 90 percent.

New initiatives are being launched at all

educational levels. A key area of focus hasbeen to transform K to 12 programs, to ensure

that UAE students are fully prepared to attend

universities around the world and compete in

the global marketplace. In addition, some of 

the world’s best universities are creating

programs in the UAE, attracting talentedstudents in the Arab world and globally.

K-12 Programs

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The education system of the UAE is relatively

new. In 1952, there were few formal schools in

the country. In the 1960s and 1970s a school

building program expanded the educationsystem. Now, education at the primary and

secondary level is universal. In 2006-2007,

approximately 650,000 students were enrolled

at 1,256 public and private schools. About 60

percent of all students attend public schools.

Education reform focuses on better

preparation, greater accountability, higher

standards and improved professionalism. In

addition, rote instruction is being replaced with

more interactive forms of learning, and

English-language education is being integrated

into other subjects, such as math and science.The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), the

Dubai Education Council (DEC) and the UAE

Ministry of Education are each tasked with

education reform, while preserving local

traditions, principles and the cultural identity of 

the UAE.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin

Zayed Al Nahyan established ADEC in 2005 to

develop education throughout the UAE. ADEC

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takes an entrepreneurial approach to involve

the private sector, improve and modernize

facilities, reduce bureaucracy, update curricula

and take advantage of information technology.

ADEC enlisted Zayed University (ZU) to help

develop English-language skills of elementary-

level students at four model schools. Thirty

faculty members from ZU will work with the

first and fourth grade students at these

schools, observing and evaluating English

language teaching methods, and designing

modern academic programs. The initiative will

be extended to all schools at a later stage.

The Dubai Education Council (DEC) seeks to

meet global standards, focusing oninternational accreditation and comprehensive

quality assurance programs. A recent initiative

is designed to attract world-class international

primary and secondary schools to Dubai.

The Ministry of Education develops and

monitors reform activities, with a focus onstandards-based, student-centered education.

These efforts include a partnership with

National Association of Elementary School

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Principals in the United States. Activities

include:

•

Audits of every public school in the UAE• Evaluations of the system, from individual

schools up through the Ministry

• Ongoing professional development of 

teachers and principals

Higher Education

The UAE is home to a wide range of 

universities, both public and private. UAE

citizens can attend government institutions

free of charge, and the UAE has one of the

highest application participation rates in the

world. Ninety-five percent of all girls and 80percent of boys enrolled in the final year of 

secondary school apply for admission to a

higher education institution. UAE public

universities include:

• UAE University, where enrollment has

increased from 502 in its founding year(1977) to nearly 14,740 in 2006. Women

represent 79 percent of the student body.

UAE University awards 70 undergraduate

degrees as well as some graduate degrees.

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Many of its programs are internationally

accredited. (www.uaeu.ac.ae)

• Zayed University (ZU), established in

1998 as an all-women’s institution, and

later expanded to include men. Organized

into five colleges—Arts and Sciences,

Business Sciences, Communication and

Media Sciences, Education, and Information

Systems, the primary language of 

instruction is English. (www.zu.ac.ae)

• Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT),

the largest higher educational institution

with an enrollment of 16,000 UAE nationals.

Founded in 1988 with four campuses, HCT

now includes 16 men’s and women’s

colleges in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, MadinatZayed, Dubai, Ra’s al-Khaimah, Sharjah

and Fujairah. The colleges offer more than

80 programs at four different credential

levels—Diploma, Higher Diploma, Bachelor

and Masters. More than 10,000 of the

current students are female.

(www.hct.ac.ae)

Private Institutions

Some of the key private institutions include:

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• American Universities of Sharjah and

Dubai, both of which are also accredited in

the United States

• Sharjah University

• Ajman University of Science and

Technology

• Abu Dhabi University with campuses in

Abu Dhabi and Al Ain

•

Al Hosn University

The Masdar Institute for Science and

Technology (MIST) began accepting students

in 2009. MIST will be the Middle East’s first

graduate education and research university

focused on developing the next generation of 

solutions to the world’s dependence on fossilfuels.

Global Partnerships

A number of international universities have

campuses or programs in the UAE. Some are

housed in special zones, including DubaiKnowledge Village and Academic City. These

are multi-university complexes that attract

students from the region who are unable to go

abroad to study. More than 25 universities are

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located, or planning to be located, in these

special Free Zones.

Other special programs include:

• The Sorbonne opened its Abu Dhabi

campus in 2006 and will award

qualifications under French regulations and

standards set by the Sorbonne in Paris.

• New York University is the first

comprehensive liberal arts and sciencescampus with a robust research component

to be operated abroad by a major US

university. A temporary campus has

opened in Abu Dhabi. When the main

campus opens on Saadiyat Island, the

school will serve over 2,000 undergraduateand graduate students, principally from the

Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, and

Europe.

• Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of 

Public Health is helping establish a public

health doctoral program in the Emirates.• Other US institutions include the

University of Washington, Boston University

and Rochester Institute of Technology.

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Technical Education

Founded in 1997, the Centre of Excellence

for Applied Research and Training(CERT) is the commercial arm of the Higher

Colleges of Technology and provides education,

training and applied technology. The company

is the largest private education provider in the

Middle East and is developing projects

throughout the MENA region.

Other vocational and technical educational

centers are sponsored by the:

• Emirates Institute for Banking and

Finance

•

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company CareerDevelopment Center

• Petroleum Institute

• Dubai School of Government

• Emirates Aviation College for Aerospace

and Academic Studies

Special Education

The government of the UAE recognizes the

need to support students with special needs.

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The UAE signed the optional Protocol to the UN

Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities and Federal Law 29/2006

guarantees rights for people with specialneeds. Vocational and rehabilitation centers

have been developed throughout the country.

In addition, efforts are made to include special

needs students in mainstream educational

settings. The UAE also participates in the

Special Olympics.A partnership between the government of Abu

Dhabi and the New England Center for

Children, a Massachusetts school serving

children with autism, established a

comprehensive education program as well as

trains UAE nationals to provide services in

Arabic.

In our opinion, it is essential that you physically visit the nursery, school,college, or university before your children sign up to study in Dubai, Abu

Dhabi, or other UAE emirates. A first-hand impression and your instinctscould be worth far more than any research you do on the internet, or

advice you receive from an educational consultant. If you live overseas,flying to Dubai to visit the institute should be a worthwhile investment. If 

you cannot do that, then try harder. If you still cannot make a visit, thentry and find a trusted friend or relative living in the UAE to go on your

behalf (no, mynewbestfriend338 that you met online last week doesn't

count).

Like most places, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the other emirates in the UAE havea wide range of schools ranging from ones that students hate to ones they

simply dislike intensely. Homework is almost always given in sufficient

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quantities so that students begin to see child slavery as an appealingalternative, and a wheelbarrow for all their textbooks would be a very

useful purchase. School buses are warm enough in the summer heat sothat if your wee darlings bring food with them, it will arrive at school

cooked to perfection.

Having said all that, not to worry. It is possible to find buses with

reasonable air conditioning and smaller books. Generally, you get what youpay for. Kindergarten and primary school students will usually have a great

educational experience. Secondary school students will complain like theydo anywhere.

One of the great things about education and schooling in Dubai is the

opportunity to meet students from a variety of countries and cultures andform valuable life-long friendships with them, as well as gaining a much

greater global awareness compared to reading a social studies book in your

home country. This effect is of course lessened if children attend a school

with predominantly one nationality eg the Icelandic school of snowmobilemaintenance and walrus wrestling (with apologies to any Icelandersreading this). Focus on the benefits of getting educated in a Dubai or other

UAE school, and it will be a great time and a highly memorable experience.But do investigate carefully where you're going before packing up, so you

don't wind up in an intolerable situation.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai have the greatest number of schools, unsurprisingly,

and Sharjah and Al Ain also have a reasonable range of schools but it'sharder to find a good one. The smaller emirates of Ajman, Umm Al Quwain,

Fujairah, and Ras Al Khaimah have a limited number of options, and someparents living in those emirates opt to send their children to schools in one

of larger cities.

School opening dates 2010-2011

Summer holidays for schools in the UAE will start later and finish later than

normal since Ramadan 2010 runs from mid August to early September

2010. The Eid Al Fitr holidays start when Ramadan is finished (UAE Ministryof Education circular issued to schools 26 February 2010).

• UAE private and public (government) schools will end the 2009-2010 academic year and close on Sunday 11 July 2010.

• UAE privates schools opening date for the 2010-2011 Academic Year

might be around Tuesday 14 September 2010 after the Eid holiday, butconfirm with the school since some schools will open much earlier.

• UAE government schools opening date will be Wednesday 15

September 2010 (changed from 12 September 2010) for students, andteachers should report for duty on 12 September 2010 (changed from 05

September 2010) according to a WAM news reports 26 May 2010.

• Updated WAM news report on 07 September 2010 said

administrators should return on 04 Shawwal 1431 (Hijri calendar date)which will be either 12 or 13 September 2010 depending on the start date

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of Eid Al Fitr in UAE. Start date for students was unchanged.

• Government schools will change from 2 semesters to 3 terms for the2010-2011 academic year, with a total of 180 school days.

• Indian, Pakistani, and Iranian schools with academic years that run

from April to March will still close and open on those dates for summer

hols.

UAE Government school dates 2010-2011 (private schools might have different dates)

Start dateExaminations start

dateEnd date

Term 1 15 September 2010 12 December 2010 19 December 2010

Term 2 02 January 2011 20 March 2011 27 March 2011

Term 3 03 April 2011 19 June 2011 14 July 2011

•

Public school teachers are expected to return to work on 12September 2010 (previously 05 September 2010)?

Schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi & other emirates in theUAE 

For expats, children will often go to a private school catering to whatevernationality and qualification preference you have, or an international school

with a more mixed student body. There are American and Britishcurriculum schools of course. But there are also Arabic, Australian, French,

German, Indian, Iranian, Japanese, Russian etc curriculum schools based inDubai and the UAE. Some of these schools are governed by the embassy of 

that country (a total of 18 in the UAE in 2006).

The name of the school won't tell you very much on its own. It is not

unusual for schools in Dubai with Indian curriculums to be called an Englishschool of some sort. Dubai and UAE schools with an Arabic sounding name

eg Al Khubairat School will not necessarily have an Arabic curriculum.Dubai schools with an international sounding name could well be solely

Arabic or Indian curriculum schools. Schools in the UAE with Frenchsounding names will be French though. Which, in an odd way, is quite

surprising.

Some names will sound a little odd. The Little Flock English School for

example obviously had admirable intentions but unfortunately it sounds likean angry father had a hand in the naming process.

Ages and equivalent grades can vary a little. Some schools will have Year13 as the final year (usually British curriculum schools), but other schools

will call it grade 12 (usually American curriculum schools). A rough guide isin the table below.

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elementary / primary school

high / secondary school

System Age 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

American Grade KG1 KG2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

British Year FS1 FS2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

National Curriculum

(UK)KS0 KS1 KS2 KS3 KS4 KS5

IndianClass /

GradeI II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII

International Grade KG1 KG2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

• Age in years is for student at the start of the academic year - about

01 September for most schools in the UAE, 01 April for Indian and Pakistanischools. In the rest of the world, northern hemisphere schools start the

academic year in August/September, southern hemisphere schools inJanuary/February.

• Years 12 and 13 in the British system might also be referred to as

Lower Sixth Form and Upper Sixth Form

• There is some overlap between where a junior school ends and asenior school starts - different schools have different start and end points.

• Terms often used in reference to school levels are:

o Elementary School - a US term for a school for

students aged about 4 to 12 years.

o High School - a school for students aged 11 to 17

years.

o Infant School - usually the first years of a UK primary

school

o Junior School - the later years of a UK primary schoolo Middle School - US intermediate school between

elementary and high schoolso Nursery - for young children / toddlers (from 3 months

to 4 years or a range in between)o Preparatory School - UK private primary school

o Public School - a government funded school in most

countries, a private school in the UK (go figure ...)

o Reception - the first years of a UK primary school (FS1

& FS2)

o Sixth Form College - a UK school for 16 & 17 year old

students, usually doing A-levels. None in Dubai.

• There is some overlap between where a junior school ends and asenior school starts.

• FS1 means Foundation Stage 1, KG1 (or K1) means Kindergartenyear 1, KS1 means Key Stage 1.

• US schools often refer to first grade, second grade etc instead

of grade one, grade two etc.

Pre-school education and childcare in the UAE 

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• Nurseries operate for babies, toddlers, children, and brats up to 4

years of age and might include daycare and creche facilities. They operateunder the authority and licensing of the UAE Ministry of Social Affairs

(MOSA).

• Kindergartens are for children from 4-6 years of age, and operate

under the education authority in the emirate in which they are based. UAEeducation authorities, councils, and zones, operate under the UAE Ministryof Education umbrella. Even if it's not raining.

• Pre-schools (or preschools) might refer to nursery establishments or

kindergartens. But probably kindergartens.

A 30 July 2010 report in the Khaleej Times clarified that parents should not

have their children over 4 years of age in nursery establishments, based oncomments from Moza Salem Al Shoomy, Director of the Child Department

at the UAE MOSA, who said ...

• "Nursery schools are only concerned with early education, known as

day-care, and do not qualify children for preliminary stage. MOSA hasreceived several complaints from parents who could not register their children in Grade-1 because they were enrolled at nurseries till the age of 

six,"

• "Both nurseries and kindergartens have different licences, methods,

classes and requirements. Nonetheless, some nurseries put advertisements

offering kindergarten education and play tricks with parents who are not aware of the procedures,"

Summer camps at nurseries in the UAE 

A Khaleej Times report, 30 July 2010, about nursery and pre-school

education in the UAE, warned parents to be careful about sending theirchildren to summer camps at UAE nurseries. Nurseries are permitted to runsummer camps but with the appropriate authorisation from the UAE

Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA). Concerned parents could ask to see thatthe establishment has the correct documentation. Or if they are concerned,

they can enquire at the UAE MOSA in Dubai on contact tel +971-4-6011260, 6011263, or 6011259. Moza Salem Al Shoomy, Director of the

Child Department at the UAE MOSA said, according to the report ...

• "Some nurseries were found to be using improper plastic swimming pools with no filters or sanitised water or following safety procedures,

which ended in many children's serious infection and illness."

•

"Should any nursery school wish to hold a summer camp, they cansimply contact the ministry to get a No Objection Certificate and learn

about the right procedures, methods and tools. Nurseries can makebusiness but not at the cost of children,"

Expat students at UAE government schools

Expat students were able to attend government schools in the UAE, then

they weren't and had to attend private schools. Then in June 2006, the UAE

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government said that expat students could go to government schoolsagain. The Gulf News reported on 26 January 2007 that UAE Public Schools

would allow expatriate students to enrol from the beginning of the newacademic year (September 2007). Students may need to complete an entry

exam for Arabic, English, and Mathematics. Fees of 3000-6000 dhs per

year are payable.

Note that almost all UAE government schools educate students in Arabicand offer local UAE qualifications which do not have much value if applying

for English-speaking Universities outside the UAE (and not so much forsome universities in the UAE either). Only students of Arab nationalities are

expected to apply for places at government schools. Latifa School forGirls and Rashid School for Boys (both in Dubai) are two excellent

government funded schools where, although the majority of students areEmirati, they are educated in English and follow a British curriculum. It is

difficult to get a place there (or a job as a teacher).

 Attention Deficit Disorder and ADHD, Autism, Down'sSyndrome, Dyslexic, and other Special Needs and disabled children

For non-Arab expats, there are limited facilities for special needs children.There are a number of government funded establishments but they are

usually restricted to Emirati nationals, or possibly Arab / Arab speaking

nationals. Most mainstream private schools will not accept special needsstudents except possibly for mild cases of dyslexia. A handful of schools

might consider mild cases of ADD, ADHD, and autism. This situation isimproving though, some of the newer schools are making an effort to

establish special needs units or provide teachers and assistants withappropriate training. There is also an increasing number of parent support

groups. The list of special needs facilities includes these schools and groupsif that information is available.

• Special needs Abu Dhabi  - schools, support groups, and clinics

offering special needs services in Abu Dhabi

• Special needs Dubai  - a similar list for Dubai

• Special needs UAE - UAE special needs facilities including Sharjah,Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Al Ain. There appear to be no facilities in Umm Al

Qawain, Ajman for non-UAE nationals.

• Special needs UAE forum - add information about special needsfacilities not included in the lists above.

School fees in Dubai 

• Information moved to Dubai school fees page.

Student information for schools in Dubai 

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• Students are expected to wear uniforms in most schools (one or two

of the American curriculum schools, French, German and other Europeanschools may not have this requirement).

• The school day usually starts between 0700 and 0800, and finishes

between 1400 and 1500 with a standard lunch break. KG and primary

students will normally have a shorter day. Extra-curricular activities runlater in the afternoons. Non-western curriculum schools might have havetwo shifts with girls attending in the mornings and boys attending in the

afternoons.

• Strictly speaking, the UAE Ministry of Education requirements arethat students should be segregated according to gender. At least at

secondary level, and teachers should be the same gender as the class.Most schools following a western curriculum however, have mixed classes

from K-12. Every now and then there is some discussion regarding stricterimplementation of the segregation rule but then the summer comes and

when students return, things seem to carry on as they were.

• UAE Ministry of Education requirements are also that Muslim and/or

Arabic students must study Arabic and Islamic Studies throughout highschool. Each school implements that in different ways - some expect alltheir students to attend Arabic and Islamic Studies classes for example,

others exempt non-Muslims and non-Arabs. Check with the school what thepolicy is.

Extra-curricular activities in Dubai schools

• Parents and students may find after-school options more limitedthan they are used to. Sometimes because schools themselves focus more

on the academic curriculum. Sometimes because it's difficult to findteachers who will volunteer for extra-curricular duties. The hot climate also

means that outdoor activities have to be shelved for several months a year.• The schools with a good range of activities on offer tend to be the

well-established non-profit organisations with an active Parent-TeacherAssociation and Board of Governors interested in the education of students

as a priority. Most of the private schools in Dubai and the UAE are profit-making establishments, and the clash between business interests and

education seems to be most evident where extra-curricular activities areinvolved.

 Admission Requirements for Schools in Dubai 

Usually a selection of the following documents will be needed to succesfully

register a child at one of the Dubai schools or colleges. Check with theindividual schools in Dubai for exact details - requirements differ between

schools, age groups and nationality.

• Passport copies with a valid residence visa or Khulasat Al Kaid for

Emiratis.

• Birth Certificate copies (check with school if English and/or Arabic

translation is required). If they're not in English and you're applying for thefirst time to a school in the UAE, take them to the UAE embassy in your

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country to have them attested before you leave.

• Passport photographs (less than a hundred should be enough).

• Health card or evidence of medical insurance.

• Vaccination card or immunisation record.

• Transfer Certificate from previous school. Check with school fordetails - if coming from overseas, you will need to have a transfer

certificate certified by (if it's not in Arabic, authenticated translations will berequired - English maybe not):

o the education authority in that country (check with the

UAE Embassy if this step needed)

o the UAE Embassy in that country

o the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE

o the UAE Ministry of Education in the UAE or possibly

your country's embassy in the UAE

• Transcript/Progress Reports from previous school (same certification

process as for Transfer Certificates).

• Letter of recommendation or similar from previous school.

• Successful completion of any entrance tests/exams and personal

interviews.

Description of English curriculums andqualifications

 A-levels - Advanced levels (UK/British)

• Assessment by exams at age 17 or 18 (grade 12 or 13) after a two

year course of study in each subject.

• Students attain awards in individual A-level subjects and normallydo 3 at a time.

•

AS-levels are a watered down version of A-levels and may becompleted in one year.

• Universities will specify minimum A-level grades required for entryand in which subjects. Investigate carefully before making A-level choices

as it's not easy to change your mind later.

 AP - Advanced Placement (US)

• Similar level to A-levels and IB although some would argue that APs

are easier.

• Prerequisites for entry to American universities.

CBSE - Central Board of Secondary Education (Indian)

• Governing body for a syllabus with exams at the end of class X andXII in Indian curriculum schools.

CBSE-i (i-CBSE, iCBSE, CBSEi) - International CBSE (Indian)

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• A new CBSE International curriculum (CBSE-i/CBSEi/iCBSE) will

become available in Indian curriculum schools outside India for the 2011-2012 academic year (starting April 2011 in UAE). The new International

Indian School in Dubai has said they will be offering the International CBSEcurriculum when they open (Khaleej Times 19 March 2010).

• The CBSE International (CBSEI) curriculum will be introduced inclasses I and IX in 2010-2011, classes II, VI, VII and X in 2011-2012, andclasses III, IV, V, VII, XI, and XII in 2012-2013 (not confirmed).

• Press reports said that Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human

Resource Development in India, launched the CBSE-Internationalcurriculum in Dubai on Tuesday 25 May 2010 at the Indian High School of 

Dubai.

• Sharjah Indian School  is also reportedly introducing the CBSE-i from2011.

GCSE - General Certificate of Secondary Education (UK /British)

• Assessment by exams done at age 15 or 16 (grade 10 or 11), each

subject is a two year course.

• Students attain awards in individual GCSE subjects but it is commonto do up to 10 subjects at a time.

• Schools will have their own required list of subjects which will

probably include English, Maths, Science.

FBISE - Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Islamabad (Pakistan)

• Administers Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and HigherSecondary School Certificate (HSSC) courses and qualifications in nationaland international Pakistani schools.

 IB - International Baccalaureate (International inEnglish, French, Spanish)

• Qualification gained after two years of study at senior levels - age

17-18 or grades 12-13. Courses can be done in English, French or Spanish- depending on the school (currently, unlikely there are any French or

Spanish schools offering IB in the UAE).

•

Well respected qualification around the world for entrance touniversities - some UK universities express a preference for it over A-levels.

• To complete the full IB Diploma, students must complete courses in

6 different subjects and something called Theory of Knowledge, do

additional activities involving community work and sports/hobbies, and doan original project/essay.

• Six subjects will be assessed with final exams. The course overall isquite challenging and some of the Higher Level exams can be especially

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difficult.

• Students need to be careful of any particular university entrancerequirements when choosing subjects. Not all subjects are equal depending

on which university attended.

• Students can do less than six subjects at IB level (depending on

school rules), they will receive IB certificates for each subject they

successfully complete.

 IGCSE - International General Certificate of Secondary Education (International)

• Similar to the British GCSE but intended for students of all

nationalities wishing to study in English and move on to an Englishspeaking University not necessarily in the UK.

• IGCSE itself is not a university entrance qualification (althoughapparently some American universities do accept it) but usually leads on to

an IB or A-level course.

 ICSE - Indian Certificate of Secondary Education(Indian)

• Administered by the CISCE (Council for the Indian School CertificateExaminations) for Class X (Class 10) students.

• ISC - Indian School Certificate.

 IPC - International Primary Curriculum

NC - National Curriculum for England (UK / British)

• Sometimes referred to as just the "National Curriculum". The

abbreviation NCE is not usually used.

• The National Curriculum is program of study that was introducedinto schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland after the Education

Reform Act 1988.

• The NC consists of 4 'Key Stages' with educational goals to beattained during each stage, and assessments at the end of each stage.

Subjects studied at each stage in the UK are:o Key Stage 1 (KS1) age 5-7: Art and Design, Design & 

Technology, English or Literacy, Geography, History, Information & 

Communication Technology (ICT), Mathematics or Numeracy, Music,Personal Social & Health Education (PSHE), Physical Education,

Religious Education, Science, Welsh.

o Key Stage 2 (KS2) age 7-11: same as for KS1.

o Key Stage 3 (KS3) age 11-14: Art and Design, Careers

Education, Citizenship, Design & Technology, English, Geography,History, ICT, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, PSHE,

Physical Education, Religious Education, Science, Sex Education,Welsh.

o Key Stage 4 (KS4) age 14-16: Careers Education,

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Citizenship, English, ICT, Mathematics, PSHE, Physical Education,Religious Education, Science, Sex Education, Welsh, Work-Related

Learning.

• UAE schools following the NC will not offer Religious Education, orSex Education. Welsh is unlikely to be offered - in the UK it is only a

requirement for schools in Wales. There may be other variations with the

UK NC guidelines.• GCSE or IGCSE exams usually follow KS4.

• There is a Foundation Stage for 3-5 year olds (sometimes called Key

Stage 0 / KS0), and a Post 16 stage (sometimes called Key Stage 5 / KS5)for 16+ but they are not compulsory education levels in the UK.

• The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is the governing

body for the National Curriculum, and associated exams and tests.

SSC - Secondary School Certificate (Indian)

• Indian state run curriculums/exams. Some regard the courses andexams as easier than ICSE or CBSE.

UAE Education System

• Government schools in the UAE are segregated for boys and girls,

there are no mixed schools.

• Schools are divided into age groups - Cycle 1 (KG - Grade 5), Cycle2 (Grade 6-9), Cycle 3 (Grades 10-12). Some schools will combine 2 or 3

cycles.

• UAE education reform - see the Abu Dhabi Private Public SchoolsPartnership.

UAE Education Guide

• The UAE Education Guide, or UAE Educational Guide, is a printed

book directory of public and private schools and institutes, includinginternational universities accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher

Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR).

Private Tuition

See the Dubai tutor page.

Sex and Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll

Teenagers around the world show an enthusiasm for learning about sex,drugs, and rock and roll that seems to far surpass their interest in

Fundamental Calculus and the Battle of Waterloo. This section isn'tintended to be alarmist but as a parent, keep in mind that the penalties for

getting caught breaking the law in the UAE can be much harsher than inother countries. Teenagers have ended up in prison for drug related

offences (standard miminum sentence is 4 years). Sex or alcohol related

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offences are less likely to see your offspring locked up for a long time butthey could be deported, especially if crashing a car after drinking. Underage

drinking (minimum age is 21 years) in public bars is common enough, andmost teenagers seem to be more civilised about it than elsewhere -

perhaps a combination of the international mix of nationalities and

likelihood of harsher punishments keeps them subdued. That's not to saythere aren't unpleasant incidents - there are, but far fewer than in manywestern countries. Here is a summary of our opinion of what the law says,

and related issues (note it is only an opinion, not any sort of legal adviceor moral point of view).

• Sex outside marriage is illegal in the UAE (at any age - adults are

not exempt).

• Public displays of affection (PDA) are frowned upon, especially inSharjah, and especially during Ramadan. A police warning would be more

likely than an arrest (unless you're unlucky, abusive, drinking / drunk,naked, not in Dubai, or it's Ramadan - applies to adults too).

•

If your daughter gets pregnant in Dubai (assuming she's notmarried), you'll probably have to export her since unmarried mothersusually end up in jail.

• The contraceptive pill is freely available at pharmacies without

prescription. Condoms are available at pharmacies, supermarkets, petrolstations etc.

• A non-Muslim male getting involved with a Muslim female will be amuch greater issue for families and the authorities than a Muslim male

involved with a non-Muslim female. Emirati and Muslim females have

disappeared from school and the public eye when parents have discoveredtheir liasons. However, honor killings are very rare in the UAE.

• Minimum age limit for drinking alcohol is 21 years, and residents are

supposed to have an alcohol licence (permission to drink).

• Minimum driving age is 18 years (driving without a UAE drivinglicense could result in the car being impounded and at least a hefty fine).

• Maximum level of alcohol permitted while driving is zero (of any unit

you like).

• Drugs in the UAE - conviction of drug use or possession usuallycarries a minimum 4 year jail sentence. Convictions can, and have, resulted

from blood or urine samples containing evidence of drug use, even whendrugs have been used outside the UAE. Some over-the-counter medicines

in other countries (codeine for example) fall into the illegal drugs categoryin the UAE.

• Technically, secondary school boys and girls are supposed to be in

segregated education but most western schools don't take any notice of 

that.

For the most part, the UAE, and especially Dubai, is generally reasonablytolerant of western excesses. Just stay away from drugs in Dubai, and keep

your head down for the rest of it.

Last update Friday 15-Oct-2010

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Related pages

• ADEC Abu Dhabi  (Abu Dhabi Education Council)

• ADEZ Abu Dhabi  (Abu Dhabi Education Zone)

•

Dubai Academic City - a collection of schools and tertiary institutesin Dubai.

• Dubai Knowledge Village - a collection of tertiary institutes andeducational services in Al Sofouh, Dubai.

• Education authorities in UAE - list of educational zones for each

emirate

• KHDA school licensing - KHDA to license all schools in Dubai from

January 2008

• Ministry of Education in UAE

• Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

• Private tuition in Dubai  - information, not a list of tutors

• School operators in Dubai  - list of companies that operate schools

and nurseries in Dubai and UAE

• Teaching in the UAE - information for teachers

• Tuition fees in Dubai schools

• Schools in Dubai forum - for Dubai and UAE schools discussions(and anything to do with education and teaching in Dubai).

• Special Needs Dubai   - discussion topic about Special Needs children

in Dubai with some resource

UAE residents have an optimistic view towards education

system in the country. UAE has advanced in the field of 

education within the past few decades.

There is a real awareness about education in UAE whichis constantly updating the policy and there is continuous

investment in education infrastructure which helps in thecountry's development. Ministry of Education has

prepared a policy which shows the strategy for furthereducational development in UAE.

The existing educational system was established in1970s in UAE. This educational structure is a four-tiersystem which covers fourteen years of education.

Primary and secondary education is provided for all UAEcitizens.

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Education Structure in Dubai is shown as follows:

Nurseries in Dubai

Dubai has a large number of nurseries. Most of them

adopt variations of the Montessory method of instructionand take English as a primary instruction language. Mostof the nurseries take children from two years old

onwards and some of them take children from age of 18month onwards.

Kindergarten

At the Kindergarten level children are usually learn art,

music, religion, English, Arabic and math. Kindergartensalso offer all sort of other activities for their attendants.Dubai has many English-speaking kindergartens and

most of them are situated in Jumeirah and UmmSuquiem areas. Age level is from 4 to 5 years old for

kindergarten.

PrimaryAt primary level English is the medium of instructionlanguage in most of schools in Dubai. There are also

large numbers of schools which teach children in otherforeign languages, French, Hindu, even Russian. There is

also a wide range of foreign curriculums, from BritishNational Curriculum to Japanese system. For admission,

some schools conduct entrance tests and most of thegood schools also have a long waiting lists.

The new term in most of British schools in Dubai startsin September. In all other schools new term begins inApril. During July and August all schools are closed for a

holidays. School uniforms, usually similar to Europeanand American Schools uniform. In most of the schoolstimings are from 8 am to 2 pm with usually two or three

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breaks. Average Fees is approximately Dhs. 3000 in

schools. Primary section is usually of six years and agelevel is from 6 to 12 years.

SecondaryDubai also has large number of international highschools which offers to expatriates as well as domicile

residents large scale of curriculums- from Indian CBSEto IGCSE. School uniform is similar to those in primary.

Compulsory subjects in most of the school include math,social studies, physical education, religion and Arabic.

Pupil can choose subjects such as science, languages,

sociology, history, computer studies etc. The offeredsubjects depend on school education system. Anaverage fee in private schools is varying up to Dhs

25000.

Secondary school period is generally of three years andage level from 12 to 18 years. Certificate or diploma

awarded by Secondary School Leaving Certificate

Colleges and Universities in Dubai

The number of colleges and universities in Dubai hasgrown significantly in last 20 years and every year the

number of their staff and students increases by about30%. Most of the colleges and universities are affiliating

themselves to prestigious institutions abroad, and manyof them use English as tuition language. Postgraduate

Education in Dubai

A large number of Dubai's universities also offer variousmaster and PhD postgraduate programs. To learn more

about postgraduate programs in Dubai and see a full listof universities and institutes that offer master and PhDprograms.

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Technical Secondary School Length of programme isabout 6years and age level is from 12 to 18 years.

Certificate/diploma awarded: Technical Secondary

Diploma

Dubai has an extensive education sector. Government in

Dubai offers free education from kindergarten touniversity to all its citizens and about 40% of children

attend private schools. For all children older then 5years full-time education is compulsory and all primary

and secondary schools in Dubai, public and private, up

to ninth grade also have to follow universal andcompulsory program bases.