Best schools in Dubai
Education in Dubai
Dubai is dramatic, thrilling, and innovative, attracting people with enormous amounts of talent and new ideas. The opportunities for teachers, parents, and students to be a part of a growing city are extraordinary and are being taken up in ever larger numbers which, in turn, is leading to a greater choice of genuinely international schools.
Since the vast majority of international schools are owned by for-profit businesses, some are inevitably run as commercial operations which cut costs and raise fees where they can. But not all should be discounted – a number of good educational companies are based in Dubai.
The KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) is a government run organisation responsible for the growth and quality of education in Dubai. They oversee and guide education in the city, and through inspections, the DSIB (Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau), an arm of the KHDA, provide them with detailed reports annually on each school comparing the standard offered to that of the educationally best performing countries in the world. The KHDA also ensure that all children educated in Dubai learn Arabic, with non-native speakers studying the language up to Year 9.
Choosing a school in Dubai
Parents should plan to visit schools if possible - and sooner rather than later when they learn of a posting here.
If you’re hoping your children will be able to live somewhat outside the bubble, and meet locals as well as fellow international children, fear not. The majority of well-heeled local families send their children to these private schools because they learn English - and everybody has to attend Arabic classes anyway.
A note of caution - some of the very anglicised school names are actually aimed at an Arabian (or in several cases) Indian audience, and you could find yourself in a very small minority.
Special education needs in Dubai
Children with special education needs have access to excellent facilities in Dubai, both in school and via external organisations. The KHDA is fully committed to embedding inclusion throughout education providers as part of the government’s pledge to welcome diversity. While some schools are better equipped than others, it is mandatory that all schools in Dubai are able to cater for special education needs, in some capacity.
Pre-schools, kindergarten and nurseries in Dubai
Dubai schools do not accept children under 4, so if you are looking for a way to start your 3 year old on the road to Oxford, there will be a slight delay. Nurseries can be booked up with sometimes as long as two year waiting lists, so you should put your infant’s name down at birth (or before) to be guaranteed a place.
Some nurseries accept babies from 3 months although most prefer to accept around 12 months. Fees and timings vary dramatically from school to school. In general, nurseries are open for four or five hours although some offer early mornings and later evenings. Some provide lunch and summer classes.
However, the only way to find out about a school properly is to visit. The most popular nurseries - in true Dubai style - have long waiting lists. The ones in Jumeirah and Umm Suqeim are particularly popular because they are the oldest; that doesn’t always mean best, but it does mean people know more about them and have more on which to base their opinions.
Nurseries that have come recommended to us by other parents include Homegrown Children’s Eco nursery, which adopts a green, holistic approach to pre-school education and has two locations in Umm Suqeim; Ladybird nursery which has expanded to three different locations now and offer the Montessori method; Children’s Oasis, which starts at three months and offers a multilingual education.
