Category: Education

Three themes outlined in Knowledge Fund Establishment’s Strategic Plan 2023-2025.

Under the first theme of investment portfolio sustainability, the Establishment aims to develop an investment portfolio that helps enhance the sustainability and diversification of investment sources. The investment portfolio will support educational initiatives in the emirate and help develop its educational system.

Under the second theme of educational asset allocation, the Establishment seeks to enhance investment opportunities in the education and knowledge sector and further attract investors from around the world. The Establishment seeks to create a compelling value proposition for investments in the emirate’s educational assets, including lands and facilities designated by the government to meet the education sector’s needs and achieve the emirate’s strategic objectives.

Under the third theme of the new strategy of educational initiatives management, the Establishment seeks to establish a competitive educational environment that encourages creativity and innovation and enables various segments of the community – including students, parents, and teaching staff – to benefit from the unmatched opportunities offered through the educational initiatives and projects that the Establishment is a part of, including Dubai Schools and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Distinguished Students Programme.

The Establishment will play a pivotal role in strengthening the emirate’s attractiveness for education service providers by making it easier for them to take advantage of the government’s initiatives.

Avenues for growth

Ahmed Abdul Karim Julfar

Ahmed Abdul Karim Julfar, Chairman of the Knowledge Fund Establishment, said: “The Knowledge Fund Establishment’s new strategy is in line with the vision and aspirations of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, to further enhance the emirate’s educational sector and boost its competitiveness.

He added: “To achieve this, we strive to enhance knowledge and educational investment opportunities, develop a sustainable investment portfolio, and harness its revenues to support the growth of the education sector in the emirate.”

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO of the Knowledge Fund Establishment, said: “Since its establishment in 2007, the Knowledge Fund Establishment has worked to fulfil the goals of the leadership to create a robust educational environment that supports the growth of the knowledge economy. With the launch of our new Strategic Plan, we will collaborate with our partners in the government and private sectors to enhance the positive impact of educational initiatives and projects designed to raise the capabilities of all segments of Dubai’s.

He added: “Based on our participatory approach, we are keen to involve all stakeholders in the process of developing the new strategy and designing initiatives and projects. We firmly believe in the importance of engaging these parties, who are a central part of the new Strategic Plan. We look forward to working with all of our partners to implement its objectives.”

India’s JV Ventures latest to confirm interest, plans $300m spend to buy existing schools.

UK curriculum schools in Dubai performed best, followed by IB curriculum and Indian schools.

Dubai private schools have been ranked sixth in the world for reading and literacy skills.

The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment, which is done every five years to measure the reading and literacy skills of grade four pupils worldwide, found that private schools in Dubai scored 566 points in the 2021 study – significantly higher than the global average of 500 points.

The latest results show Dubai schools, which feature in the top 10 for the first time, have increased their score by 76 points since 2011. In 2016, when the previous study was carried out, Dubai schools scored 527.

Schools rated Outstanding scored 631 points, while Very Good and Good schools scored 588 points and 564 points respectively.

UK curriculum schools in Dubai performed best in the assessment, scoring 588 points, followed by IB curriculum schools with 583 points and Indian schools with 567.

“These results are significant not just because they exemplify the world-class teaching and learning happening across our schools every day,” said Dr Abdulla Al Karam, KHDA director general.

“They are also an acknowledgement of how our school community worked together to overcome the restrictions in place at the time PIRLS was conducted.”

The PIRLS assessment found 27 per cent of pupils in Dubai private schools achieved the Advanced International Benchmark of 625 points, compared with 12 per cent in 2016.

A questionnaire in the study found that 87 per cent of Dubai private school pupils are confident in reading.

“The results from the latest PIRLS assessments reflect the performance of the school inspections, with Outstanding and Very Good schools outperforming global averages,” said Fatma Belrehif, chief executive at Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau.

“We are proud of our school community’s dedicated approach to supporting students through the pandemic and continuing to offer high-quality education during challenging times.”

The PIRLS assessment, which has been running since 2001, requires nine and 10-year-olds from grade four or year five to complete comprehension tests.

It provides internationally comparative data on how well children read by assessing students’ reading achievement in different countries.

PIRLS, which is run by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in Amsterdam and Boston College in the US, assessed about 400,000 pupils in 57 countries.

On Sunday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, praised the success of the UAE’s annual Arab Reading Challenge, which he said has become the largest such event in the world.

Sheikh Mohammed said 24.8 million school pupils from 46 countries had taken part in this year’s competition, the finals of which are expected to be held towards the end of the year.

The annual challenge, launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2015, aims to encourage a million young people to read at least 50 books in a year.

The Arab Reading champion is selected based on the pupil’s ability to articulate general knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills, plus the diversity of books they have selected.

Education expert warns how dishonest use of AI could mean end of online tests.

A leading Dubai university plans to reinstate handwritten, tech-free exams in order to combat widespread cheating by students using the ChatGPT app.

Curtin University Dubai — a campus of Curtin University in Western Australia — is taking action after a third of students in one class were found to have used the artificial intelligence program to write their essays.

Students in the Introduction to Management class were caught out by teaching staff, who asked them to submit handwritten writing samples for comparison.

“The difference in style was very easy to spot between what they wrote themselves and the typed submissions they provided,” said Daniel Adkins, group chief executive of the Transnational Academic Group, which operates the campus in Dubai.

But the problem is so rife that universities could become obsolete in the not-too-distant future, he warned.

Mr Adkins was speaking on the sidelines of the Getex Education Forum, taking place this week at Dubai World Trade Centre.

Curtin University was in July ranked as one of Dubai’s best in a league table developed by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, in partnership with Quacquarelli Symonds, a UK company specialising in analysing higher education institutions around the world.

The likelihood of students being tempted to use AI programs such as ChatGPT has led to the university considering a permanent return to handwritten exams.

This would include students being supervised by staff, with oral one-to-one sessions also being part of the process.

“We’re trying to get it implemented by our curriculum committee that all exams are handwritten on paper in the future,” said Mr Adkins.

“We also want it to be the case that exams are personally invigilated so students cannot use any form of technology.”

Clamping down on cheating

The National reported in February that UAE schools were trying out new technologies to help prevent pupils from using AI to cheat their way to higher grades.

Italy became the first European country to ban ChatGPT at the start of the month, following in the footsteps of other countries including Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, due to privacy concerns.

The application was launched late last year by San Francisco company OpenAI, a company cofounded by Elon Musk, who described it as “scary good”.

Online learning tools were embraced by most education providers during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many pupils learning remotely.

However, it could be time to rethink this, Mr Adkins said.

He admitted it would be a measure that would not prove universally popular with his peers.

“A lot of the exams moved online during Covid-19 and, even before ChatGPT, there were videos popping up on YouTube about how to beat the software and cheat,” he said.

“We were already getting examples of cheating before ChatGPT came along.

“We’re actually getting some resistance from faculty members because automated grading online makes their jobs easier.”

But the future credibility of universities everywhere could be compromised if the right measures of protection are not adopted, he added.

“Future employers could say they can’t trust that a person actually gained the knowledge required to achieve a degree — if that happens, then it won’t have credibility,” he said.

“If someone can easily cheat their way to a degree, then the qualification will be worthless.

“I expect all universities will return to pen-and-paper-based exams because there’s no real alternative at the minute.”

Part of the solution to the use of ChatGPT could come from how it is regulated, said Brendan Vyner, business development and student recruitment director at Amity University Dubai, speaking at the same conference.

“The big issue at the minute is who is responsible for the regulation of ChatGPT,” he said.

“That’s the thing that nobody can answer right now and why it’s banned in several countries across the world.

“There isn’t a central regulatory body for it like you would find in sectors like education.

“There needs to be assurances it is used ethically and not by the likes of hackers.”

What is Chat GPT?

The artificial intelligence-based chatbot created by San Francisco-based OpenAI, which was co-founded by Elon Musk, has been creating waves across the internet with its writing ability and responses to requests.

It has been used as a cutting-edge aid across a range of fields, from essay and poetry writing to scientific concepts to job application tasks, with the results often being posted on social media.

It can even offer possible solutions to errors in computer code.

“Its answer to the question, ‘what to do if someone has a heart attack’ was incredibly clear and relevant,” Claude de Loupy, head of Syllabs, a French company specialised in automatic text generation, told AFP.

“When you start asking very specific questions, ChatGPT’s response can be off the mark”, but its overall performance remains “really impressive”, with a “high linguistic level”, he said.

The Dubai Ruler attends graduation ceremony for new cohort of the ‘Impactful Leaders’ programme.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the graduation ceremony for a new cohort of the ‘Impactful Leaders’ programme organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development. The programme aims to develop and enhance the leadership skills of emerging Emirati leaders and prepare them to assume senior leadership positions and manage strategic and transformational projects in the UAE.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance; and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council.

Building the future

On his official Twitter account, Sheikh Mohammed said: “Attending the graduation of a new cohort from the Mohammed Bin Rashid Leadership Development Program. It has been 20 years since the launch of the programme, which qualified ministers, managers and officials in both the public and private sectors. 800 leaders graduated over 20 years. The secret of our success is the faith we have in Emirati youth to step up and take the lead.

“We believe our nation holds world-class potential, and so it became. We also believed that our youth have great potential, and so they succeeded and soared, taking the UAE’s name to new heights. For this we thank Allah.”

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stressed that the UAE will continue its strategic approach of preparing young leaders and investing in exceptional talent.

The graduation ceremony, held at the Museum of the Future, was also attended by Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Chairman of The Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed.

Nurturing tomorrow’s leaders

The first edition of the Impactful Leaders programme was launched in 2017 to build leaders who encourage innovation and creativity, transform workplace environments and contribute to building the future.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Leadership Development operates under the umbrella of The Executive Office of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Guided by its vision of ‘Creating Leaders for Tomorrow’, the centre identifies, builds and develops Emirati leaders across all levels. Its pioneering approach has placed it among the world’s best centres for leadership development.

Since its launch in 2003, the centre has offered high-quality programmes focused on developing leaders who can effectively navigate change.The centre’s programmes seek to equip emerging leaders with the capabilities and knowledge to make critical decisions and create innovative solutions for future challenges.

Mental health provisions offered to learners ranked for first time by inspectors.

Almost three quarters of Dubai’s private schools provide “very high” or “high” well-being provisions for pupils, the emirate’s latest education performance league table reveals.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai’s private education regulator, ranked schools on their focus on mental health for the first time in its inspections report for the 2022-23 academic year.

The authority rated 199 private schools in the comprehensive round of assessments, the results of which were issued last month.

It awarded 74 per cent of schools the top “very high” or “high” rating.

The study stated that more than 80 per cent of Dubai schools ensure pupils feel consistently positive about their time in school.

Customised summary reports for each school have been shared with parents, outlining the key findings relating to their child’s school.

The reports take into consideration performance indicators such as quality of teaching, well-being provision, evaluation of key subjects, and areas of strength and improvement.

“Various studies indicate that there is a strong correlation between student well-being and academic achievement,” said Fatma Belrehif, chief executive of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, which assesses schools on behalf of the KHDA.

“We are pleased to see consistently high well-being levels across schools in Dubai. School leaders are committed to providing a positive and supportive environment that supports student well-being, and we encourage them to continue using data to evaluate and improve the well-being provision in their schools.”

Schools across the globe have sought to support the well-being of pupils since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pressures of studying remotely, along with the challenges of an eventual return to classroom, took a toll on many young learners.

Forty-seven Dubai schools received the top rating for their well-being strategies, with another 100 securing the “high” ranking.

Fifty schools’ well-being services were assessed as moderate, with two schools given a “low” rating.

In December, Dubai introduced an action plan to boost well-being among pupils and staff at the emirate’s private schools.

The Wellbeing Matters initiative seeks to build on the findings of the Dubai Student Wellbeing Census and help schools put well-being and mental health strategies in place.

It aims to place an emphasis on the unique needs of pupils and their families and help to develop an inclusive learning culture.

The report found that the well-being of teachers and other staff members must be a core focus for school leaders.

The guide includes specific areas in which schools will be evaluated, such as how well they are leading a well-being culture; how well they are listening to the needs of their pupils and staff members; and how they are creating policies and processes to improve pupil well-being.

The Dubai Student Wellbeing Census, conducted annually for five years, involved more than 100,000 pupils each year.

Customised parent summary reports are now available on the KHDA website under each school’s directory listing.

How Dubai schools ranked and how much can fees rise?

Each year, Kings’ School Al Barsha offers a limited number of scholarships to secondary and sixth form pupils of exceptional merit and potential. Photo: Satish Kumar / The National

Twenty Dubai schools were rated outstanding in the school inspections.

There were 25 schools that improved their performance from the previous inspection in 2019.

The report also showed that more than three quarters (77 per cent) of pupils in Dubai attend private schools rated good or better, compared to 70 per cent during the last full inspection cycle in the 2018/19 academic year.

Some Dubai private schools will be allowed to increase tuition fees by up to 6 per cent in the 2023-2024 academic year, based on their performance in inspections.

The KHDA made the announcement in March, saying operational costs and the economic situation in the emirate were factors in the decision.

Tuition fees for Dubai’s private schools had been frozen for the past three academic years.

The regulator said only schools which maintained or improved their inspection ratings would be allowed to increase fees.

Schools that maintained their inspection ratings will be eligible to raise tuition fees by up to 3 per cent.

Schools that improved their rating from “weak” to “acceptable” and from “acceptable” to “good” can increase fees by up to 6 per cent.

Schools that moved from “good” to “very good” can increase fees by 5.25 per cent.

Schools that improve from “very good” to “outstanding” can apply a 4.5 per cent rise.

SPEA survey finds improvements in academic performance, productivity, mental health.

Philanthropist makes total contribution of Dh180,000 for two years in a row.

Instructions guide students to understand that generated content may not be accurate and should be revised, not to plagiarise texts.

Abu Dhabi University (ADU) announces ChatGPT guidelines to assist students and faculty while using the Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool developed by OpenAI. The announcement comes as part of the University’s commitment to advancing students learning experience and enhancing the teaching methods, as well as their research capabilities using innovative AI technology.

ChatGPT is a large language model that can be used for a wide range of tasks, such as answering questions, providing information, generating text, and engaging in conversation on various topics. It is an example of a conversational AI model that leverages natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning techniques to understand and respond to human inputs in a chat-like format.The ADU guidelines presented to both students and faculty members emphasise the responsible and ethical use of ChatGPT, in line with the university’s policies and procedures. The instructions guide students to understand that the generated content may not be accurate and should be revised accordingly, not to plagiarise texts, and more instructions to ensure the proper use of the application. This technology provides an opportunity for students to explore new tools and methods that can leverage their research skills.

In addition, faculty members can benefit from ChatGPT by including AI technology in their courses to improve their teaching methods and enhance students’ learning and success. ADU will also provide necessary training sessions to develop the faculty members’ AI skills.

Professor Ghassan Aouad, Abu Dhabi University Chancellor, said, “At Abu Dhabi University (ADU), we aim to provide our students and faculty members with world-class innovative technologies to enhance their educational experience. By introducing ChatGPT guidelines, we seek to educate our community members on how to use this tool proactively and securely while also ensuring that it is used in a manner that respects the dignity and values of all individuals. As we recognise the evolving landscape of technology and its impact on society, it is important that we prioritise ethical considerations and promote the responsible use of AI. At ADU, we provide evolved programmes focused on research and innovation to empower our students to grow and achieve their goals.”

Earlier this year, ADU began training GPT-4 on its data and services which are currently being integrated into the University’s systems. The integration of this technology supports students, faculty, and staff by providing enhanced and efficient services while setting a new standard for education technology.

Heads of schools assess changes needed after inspections that push for continuous improvements in teaching.

School principals in Dubai have said the latest private schools inspection report holds out hope for many that an overall “outstanding” rating is achievable.

The recent school inspections by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai rated 20 institutions as outstanding — the highest rating available, above very good, good, acceptable and unacceptable.

The results released on April 3 also showed that 25 schools had improved their performance.

It was the first in-person inspection since 2019 after the coronavirus pandemic prompted officials to halt visits to schools for safety reasons.

Heads of schools welcomed the inspections, saying they contributed to continuous improvement in teaching, learning and ultimately benefited the pupils.

The KHDA, Dubai’s private schools’ regulator, inspected 199 schools in the latest round of inspections — 23 more than it did four years ago.

Officials have been assessing schools in Dubai every year since 2008.

Raising the bar

Schools moving up the rankings would boost optimism among educators, said Rashmi Nandkeolyar, principal of Delhi Private School Dubai.

“There is hope for everybody to do better and better and I take this as a positive sign,” she said.

“We are now looking around the corner for the next inspection.

“Now inspections have become a thing to look forward to, rather than dread, because it’s a kind of pat on the back or a public acknowledgement of doing well.”

The Indian curriculum CBSE school was rated “very good”.

Ms Nandkeolyar said the rankings help to ensure pupils receive a holistic and comprehensive education.

Dubai’s private education regulator has introduced reading as a key focus for the next year, where pupils will be encouraged to read across all subjects, not only in English but also Science and Maths.

In previous years, attention was paid to innovation and children’s well-being.

“Every year they raise the bar so you have to run a little harder to maintain your ranking,” she said.

“Sometimes there could be a technicality that is holding you back from that outstanding ranking but you can smell it.

“All this is aspirational and they [KHDA] keep expanding the horizon.”

Feedback is vital for change

Education heads said when teachers are asked to consistently research, learn and are called on to refine their teaching methods, the pupils are the real beneficiaries.

Glen Radojkovich, deputy director at education provider Taleem, said the inspections allowed schools to self-reflect and continue to improve.

“Our focus on ensuring all our Taaleem schools offer the best education possible for our students, remains at the centre of all we do,” he said.

“We are particularly proud of Greenfield International School which moved from ‘good’ to ‘very good’ and also the significant improvement in Arabic and Islamic education outcomes across the Taaleem portfolio.”

The feedback provided by inspectors is vital with clear action that can be planned.

Dubai English Speaking School (Dess), one of the oldest schools in the country, was established in 1963 in a room of a residential villa in Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National

“Feedback is immediately woven into our school improvement plans,” he said.

“Taaleem, as a group of schools, has increased in more Arabic and Islamic Education indicators in this round of inspections than ever before, which demonstrates the priority that our board, management and school principals place on this area of education in Dubai.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, KHDA inspectors conducted checks on the quality of online classes, interviewed the management and teaching staff remotely.

The in-person inspection this year was the first time many new teachers experienced a Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau evaluation.

“This was the first time in many years that Dubai has experienced inspections and for a larger than usual percentage of teachers across the city it meant it was their first time experiencing a DSIB inspection,” Mr Radojkovich said.

“We are confident that we will see even greater school improvements next year.

“Taaleem has continued to make great improvements year on year during inspections.”

Moving in the right direction

Schools said the evaluation helped teachers understand where modifications were required and how to improve facilities.

“It has confirmed what we already know and has given us some very realistic improvement points, which we will look forward to being able to showcase in the next inspection,” said Rebecca Coulter, principal Dubai British School, Jumeirah Park.

“We had a huge number of uplifts in many areas. Our Arabic and Islamic Studies has improved, as have our outcomes in English, Maths and Science.

“We know we have made rapid improvements since the last inspection and those were confirmed in our report.”

The rankings provide a snapshot of success stories and highlight areas where further development is possible.

“One of our big priorities is to making sure students own their learning and can articulate and understand their learning,” Ms Coulter said.

“There are success stories both individually and collectively as a school and it just reinforces that we are moving in the right direction.”