Being among the most developed cities in the world, Dubai has a clear future vision that focuses on excelling in a variety of spheres. One of the goals involved in Dubai Plan 2021 is to enhance the quality of healthcare, housing, and education and ensure that these services respond to the needs of the people. Additionally, the Ministry of Education intends to achieve higher standards of education by 2021.
At present, the quality of education in Dubai is limited, and action is needed to achieve these goals in the education sphere. This project focused on identifying and analyzing the primary issues that could affect the education sector in Dubai and plan for a policy action that would help to address them.
The report outlines that there are three fundamental problems that impact education in Dubai. Firstly, there are numerous differences between private and public education that influence how public schools operate. Most subjects in public schools are taught in Arabic, leaving students with weaker English skills than those who went to private schools. Secondly, many teachers who work in Dubai schools are from other countries.
This leads to problems such as gaps in the curriculum, as foreign teachers might be confused with unfamiliar standards or guidelines. Dubai government is currently developing a licensing system for teachers, but it is also critical to ensure that all educators have appropriate qualifications and knowledge of the school program in Dubai. The last problem faced by the education sector in Dubai is the lack of performance transparency, as there is currently no system that monitors school performance through objective assessment. The new policy should seek to resolve all of these issues in order to allow Dubai to reach its 2021 performance objectives.
The recommended policy includes both regulatory and directed policy instruments, which will be used to target each problem individually. The government should set English as the first language of communication in public schools, impose regular re-training of all teachers, and conduct frequent school inspections to improve the transparency of school performance measurement. These policy options were chosen as they address the full scope of each identified problem. For example, the English language is crucial to success in the contemporary world, and thus setting it as a primary language in public schools will enhance students’ knowledge and use of English. The implementation of the policy will be regulated by the Ministry of Education and monitored by school inspectors.
Although the proposed policy will be useful, there are some risks involved, including resistance from schools, students, and parents, high costs, scheduling conflicts, and implementation gaps. These risks should be addressed through the engagement of all stakeholders to facilitate communication and collaboration.
The stakeholder engagement plan includes coordinating policy implementation with the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Education, creating compliance guidelines for regulatory bodies, establishing personal communication with school personnel, inspectors, and follow-up coordinators. Students and parents will be engaged through education events twice a year, whereas teachers will be approached during quarterly training sessions. This engagement plan will ensure the smooth implementation of the project and help it to achieve its goals.
The project outlines and explains some of the issues that halt the progress of the education sector in Dubai. These issues could affect the Emirate’s ability to reach its 2021 vision and goals, thus affecting other areas of development. The proposed policy will assist in resolving these problems by approaching each of them individually. The plans for risk mitigation and stakeholder engagement will ensure smooth implementation and positive outcomes of the policy.