Dubai’s Education in General

The general pattern of the educational system in Dubai follows that of the United Arab Emirates as a whole. From Primary Education up to graduate school, Dubai offers a complete educational system for both UAE nationals and expatriates alike. Schools are either supported by the local government or privately owned. As is the case with public and private schools elsewhere in the world, public schools are supported by government funds and other donations as well, and offer their services for free. There are currently three public universities operational in Dubai, with one more on the way. The list of private universities and colleges is currently at seventeen, and it is set to grow as well.

Since Dubai’s official language is Arabic, the primary language used in these schools is also Arabic, and English is a widely regarded secondary language there in terms of being a medium of instruction. However, in private schools, usually attended by expatriates, the medium of instruction generally used is English. In private schools, Arabic is still considered an important language as well, because it helps students, especially expatriates to communicate better with the general populace. English is the main medium of instruction in private schools because of the demand for proficiency in English in the world scene, and competitiveness in other countries where English is the main language as well.

Differences in preference over private and public schools is just that, a preference. For some, the use of English as a medium of instruction may be a big pull toward private schools, whereas others may find learning Arabic through basic instruction as a better choice. In terms of cost, public schools are free, and private schools have a widely differing range in cost. To give an idea of this cost range for the tuition fee of private schools, at the upper end of the spectrum it may reach in the ten thousand dirham range. This is expensive when one thinks about it, but it is worth it since the level of education in these schools are world-class.

The governing body for the educational system in Dubai is the Dubai Education Council, which monitors the development and progress of Dubai’s educational system. Its formation was spearheaded by the prime minister and leader of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. It aims to bring and maintain the schools present in the region at international standards. It also aims to do this while maintaining cultural integrity and social values. Global Practices are set as benchmarks for the schools in Dubai, as well as encouraging active participation from educational institutions in developing the society at large. Quality education is the ultimate goal of the Dubai Educational Council, and achieving world class standards.

Dubai’s Primary and Secondary Educational System

Primary education for children in Dubai is designed to cater to different expatriate communities and their children. There is a large Indian population present in Dubai, and as such there are also different private schools in Dubai for Indian children. Not only do educational institutions in Dubai cater only to Indian Expatriates, there are other international curriculum programs offered there, and cater to expatriates of different nationalities.

The Indian High School, Dubai is one of the earliest established in the emirate, as well as one of the largest in the area. They started operations in 1961, and aimed to educate children of Indian expatriates. Currently the school has over eight thousand students enrolled, and built inside the school compound is the Sheikh Rashid Auditorium, with an eighteen hundred seat capacity for guests and has been the site of many important events and occasions. For primary education, Arabic is also taught to the students alongside English and Hindi, which is probably one of the main reasons that Indian expatriates send their children there. In secondary education levels, the same subjects still apply, although in the language frontier French is also taught as an addition.

For children of British Nationals, however, there are also educational institutions in Dubai that offer British-curriculum educational courses. One of the more popular schools, Dubai College was established in 1978 and currently has over seven hundred students enrolled. Its students are prepared for the British GCSE examinations, which certify them as being educated according to British education standards. A-level examinations, which are compulsory to take, also give the students the option to study at other schools at the tertiary level, and the A-level exams are considered as entrance examinations for some universities.

Tertiary and Graduate School Education in International Quality Standards

There have been a growing number of tertiary levels educational institutions in Dubai for the last ten years, and parents of expatriates no longer need to send their children back to their home countries for a western education. Both British and American-curriculum courses are present in Dubai, and cater to different disciplines as well. Widely varying fields, ranging from management courses up the field of medicine, are all present in Dubai. Not only is the list of colleges and universities that are present in Dubai a bit on the numerous side as it is, there are still some more institutions on the way. One of them is the Michigan State University, which will offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Dubai starting from the fall season of 2008.

International disciplines are prevalent in the educational system in Dubai. The American University in Dubai is an example of a multidisciplinary school present in the Emirate. It offers courses in different fields. Business, Engineering, Information Technology, and Liberal Arts are just some of the departments in the university. It aims to provide world-class education for both United Arab Emirates Nationals as well as expatriates, who wish to have a career-oriented education in Dubai. The school’s measure of efficiency for its students is the level of success they attain when they graduate and are out in the real world and on the job in their professions. Wherever one might go, having personal success in a chosen career is also considered a success for the American University in Dubai.