Education and study in Dubai UAE  

Education, study, and schools in Dubai - parent and student information

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 instincts could 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, then try 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 have a wide range of schools ranging from ones that students hate to ones they simply dislike intensely. Homework is almost always given in sufficient quantities so that students begin to see child slavery as an appealing alternative, and a wheelbarrow for all their textbooks would be a very useful purchase. School buses are warm enough in the summer heat so that 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 you pay for. Kindergarten and primary school students will usually have a great educational experience. Secondary school students will complain like they do 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 and form 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 snowmobile maintenance and walrus wrestling (with apologies to any Icelanders reading 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's harder 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 some parents living in those emirates opt to send their children to schools in one of larger cities.

Schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi & other emirates in the UAE

For expats, children will often go to a private school catering to whatever nationality and qualification preference you have, or an international school with a more mixed student body. There are American and British curriculum schools of course. But there are also Arabic, Australian, French, German, Indian, Iranian, Japanese, Russian etc curriculum schools based in Dubai 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 English school 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 French sounding 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 like an angry father had a hand in the naming process.

Ages and equivalent grades can vary a little. Some schools will have Year 13 as the final year (usually British curriculum schools), but other schools will call it grade 12 (usually American curriculum schools). A rough guide is in the table below.

• 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 Pakistani schools. In the rest of the world, northern hemisphere schools start the academic year in August/September, southern hemisphere schools in January/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 a senior school starts - different schools have different start and end points.
• Terms often used in reference to school levels are:
  • Elementary School - a US term for a school for students aged about 4 to 12 years.
  • High School - a school for students aged 11 to 17 years.
  • Infant School - usually the first years of a UK primary school
  • Junior School - the later years of a UK primary school
  • Middle School - US intermediate school between elementary and high schools
  • Nursery - for young children / toddlers (from 3 months to 4 years or a range in between)
  • Preparatory School - UK private primary school
  • Public School - a government funded school in most countries, a private school in the UK (go figure ...)
  • Reception - the first years of a UK primary school (FS1 & FS2)
  • 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 a senior school starts.
• FS1 means Foundation Stage 1, KG1 (or K1) means Kindergarten year 1, KS1 means Key Stage 1.
• US schools often refer to first grade, second grade etc instead of grade one, grade two etc.

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 government said that expat students could go to government schools again. The Gulf News reported on 26 January 2007 that UAE Public Schools would allow expatriate students to enrol from the beginning of the new academic 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 Arabic and offer local UAE qualifications which do not have much value if applying for English-speaking Universities outside the UAE (and not so much for some universities in the UAE either). Only students of Arab nationalities are expected to apply for places at government schools. Latifa School for Girls and Rashid School for Boys (both in Dubai) are two excellent government funded schools where, although the majority of students are Emirati, 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's Syndrome, 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 needs students except possibly for mild cases of dyslexia. A handful of schools might consider mild cases of ADD, ADHD, and autism. This situation is improving though, some of the newer schools are making an effort to establish special needs units or provide teachers and assistants with appropriate training. There is also an increasing number of parent support groups. The list of special needs facilities includes these schools and groups if 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 needs facilities not included in the lists above.

School fees in Dubai

School fees range from a minimum of around 5,000 dhs per year at a crowded and poorly resourced school to 50,000 dhs per year or more at one of the more reputable schools, for example Dubai College or the Dubai American School. Some of the expensive schools have the added reputation of being snobby so it's not all bad if you miss out on a place there.

School fees quoted are often for tuition only. The bus fares, uniforms, books, field trips, musical instrument hire, etc can all add up to an extra few hundred dhs or even a few thousand. Check carefully what the fees include.

Public, or Government School fees have been set at 6000 dhs per year for all grades from September 2007 (previously they were 3000-6000 depending on the grade). Unless we've misunderstood the news from 05 July 2007, and the fees really are just for student uniforms.

Student information for schools in Dubai

Students are expected to wear uniforms in most schools (one or two of the American curriculum schools, French, German and other European schools 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 run later in the afternoons. Non-western curriculum schools usually have two shifts with girls attending in the mornings and boys attending in the afternoons.

Strictly speaking, the UAE Ministry of Education requirements are that 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 stricter implementation 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 high school. Each school implements that in different ways - some expect all their students to attend Arabic and Islamic Studies classes for example, others exempt non-Muslims and non-Arabs. Check with the school what the policy is.

Extra-curricular activities in Dubai schools

Parents and students may find after-school options more limited than they are used to. Sometimes because schools themselves focus more on the academic curriculum. Sometimes because it's difficult to find teachers 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-Teacher Association 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 are involved.

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 the individual 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 the first time to a school in the UAE, take them to the UAE embassy in your 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 for details - if coming from overseas, you will need to have a transfer certificate certified by (if it's not in Arabic, authenticated translations will be required - English maybe not):
  • the education authority in that country (check with the UAE Embassy if this step needed)
  • the UAE Embassy in that country
  • the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE
  • 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.

English Curriculums and qualifications

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 normally do 3 at a time.
• AS-levels are a watered down version of A-levels and may be completed in one year.
• Universities will specify minimum A-level grades required for entry and 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 and XII in Indian curriculum schools.

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 common to 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 Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) courses and qualifications in national and international Pakistani schools.

IB - International Baccalaureate (International in English, 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 to universities - 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 do an original project/essay.
• Six subjects will be assessed with final exams. The course overall is quite challenging and some of the Higher Level exams can be especially difficult.
• Students need to be careful of any particular university entrance requirements 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 English speaking University not necessarily in the UK.
• IGCSE itself is not a university entrance qualification (although apparently 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 Certificate Examinations) for Class X (Class 10) students.
• ISC - Indian School Certificate.

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 introduced into schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland after the Education Reform Act 1988.
• The NC consists of 4 'Key Stages' with educational goals to be attained during each stage, and assessments at the end of each stage. Subjects studied at each stage in the UK are:
  • 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.
  • Key Stage 2 (KS2) age 7-11: same as for KS1.
  • 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.
  • Key Stage 4 (KS4) age 14-16: Careers Education, 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, or Sex 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 and exams as easier than ICSE or CBSE.

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't intended 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 in other countries. Teenagers have ended up in prison for drug related offences (standard miminum sentence is 4 years). Sex or alcohol related offences are less likely to see your offspring locked up for a long time but they could be deported, especially if crashing a car after drinking. Underage drinking (minimum age is 21 years) in public bars is common enough, and most 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 say there aren't unpleasant incidents - there are, but far fewer than in many western 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 advice or 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 in Sharjah, 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 not married), you'll probably have to export her since unmarried mothers usually end up in jail.
• The contraceptive pill is freely available at pharmacies without prescription. Condoms are available at pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations etc.
• A non-Muslim male getting involved with a Muslim female will be a much 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 discovered their 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 driving license 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 usually carries a minimum 4 year jail sentence. Convictions can, and have, resulted from blood or urine samples containing evidence of drug use, even when drugs have been used outside the UAE. Some over-the-counter medicines in other countries (codeine for example) fall into the illegal drugs category in 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 reasonably tolerant of western excesses. Just stay away from drugs in Dubai, and keep your head down for the rest of it.

Last update Saturday 05-Sep-2009

Related pages - Internal Links

• Dubai - FAQ home and index

• Dubai Academic City - a collection of schools and tertiary institutes in Dubai.
• Dubai Knowledge Village - a collection of tertiary institutes and educational services in Al Sofouh, Dubai.
• KHDA school licensing - KHDA to license all schools in Dubai from January 2008
• Private tuition - information, not a list of tutors
• Teaching in the UAE - information for teachers
• 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 resources

Related websites - External Links (open in new window)

International curriculum websites

• www.cbse.nic.in - India Central Board of Secondary Education website (look for CBSE schools worldwide)
• www.cisce.org - Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (ISCE) website
• www.fbise.edu.pk - Federal Board of Intermediate & Secondary Education (FBISE) Islamabad, Pakistan website (in English)
• www.ibo.org - International Baccalaureate Organisation website - everything you need to know about the IB Diploma, IBMYP, and IBPYP. Look for IB schools around the world. Website in English, French, Spanish.
• www.nc.uk.net - UK National Curriculum online information
• www.qca.org.uk - Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) for the UK
• Dubai directory - add your link free

UAE education authorities websites

• www.adec.ac.ae - Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) website, in Arabic and English.
• www.adez.ae - Abu Dhabi Educational Zone (ADEZ) website, in Arabic. English version says "under construction" on almost all pages (August 2008).
• www.ajmanez.gov.ae - Ajman Educational Zone website, in Arabic only (August 2008). Tel +971-6-7456644. Head of AEZ private schools section is Musa Al Gharib.
• www.aez.gov.ae - Al Ain Education Zone website, Arabic only, English version just says "under construction" (August 2008).
• www.dec.gov.ae - Dubai Education Council (DEC) website (no longer available), DEC superseded by the KHDA.
• Dubai Schools Agency website not found, DSA is part of the KHDA.
• Dubai Educational Zone website not found, see KHDA website.
• www.ddpe.ae - Dubai Education Zone private schools website (not available August 2008 - replaced by KHDA website?)
• www.ezone.ae - not a government education zone website. Education Zone FZ LLC is a Dubai company that places Emirati and GCC students in western universities and colleges.
• www.dpvt-schools.com - was some sort of website listing private schools in Dubai (unknown if a government website or not) but now looks like a spam website (August 2008)
• www.fez.gov.ae - Fujairah Education Zone website, almost all in Arabic, no English version found (August 2008).
• www.khda.gov.ae - Knowledge and Human Development Authority Dubai website, all about Dubai schools, both government and private. In Arabic and English.
• www.moe.gov.ae - Ministry of Education UAE website, perhaps a newer version. News seems to be more up to date than on moeya.ae but very few schools found in the schools list (August 2008)
• www.moeya.ae - Ministry of Education UAE, another website, lists public and private schools but often with unusual spellings, and very little information. Some education related news but not very up to date - newspapers will be a better source. Arabic and English.
• www.rakedzone.com - Ras Al Khaimah Educational Zone (RAK EZ), mostly in Arabic, English version only has a welcome page (August 2008).
• www.sez.ae - Sharjah Education Zone (maybe an older site?), most content seems to be in the forum (www.sez.ae/vb/), Arabic only (August 2008).
• www.sez.gov.ae - Sharjah Educational Zone, Arabic only (August 2008). Newer website?
• www.uaqez.ae - Umm Al Quwain Education Zone website? A Zone-H report dated July 2007 says website was defaced / hacked. Website not available when checked August 2008. Director of UAQ Education Zone is Obeid/Obaid Al Qaoud.
• www.w-e-zone.com - Western Education Zone website (not www.we-zone.com or www.wezone.com), Arabic only (August 2008).
• Dubai directory - add your link free

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