Insights into K-12 Education System of UAE

Current Education System- The UAE's present education system was built during the last 50 years, in the first part of the twentieth century. Prior to the discovery of oil and independence from the United Kingdom, the country's education system was mostly based on Islam. Educational circles guided by Imams were held at mosques. As the educational system evolved into more contemporary forms, it was first solely open to male pupils. Following the discovery of petroleum wealth in 1971, modern educational systems were quickly established. In 2022, the country's primary and secondary school enrollment is predicted to surpass one thousand million. In the 2017/2018 academic year, almost half of all school pupils were female.

Student Enrollment Statistics - 

The UAE's education system has evolved alongside the country's rapid economic expansion during the last two decades. The primary elements highlight the efforts of the federal government and individual emirates to diversify their economies.

The economy expanded beyond oil extraction to include finance, retail, tourism, and services.

Over the past decade, the population has doubled to over nine million, with an expatriate community accounting for almost 85% of the total. It is crucial to meet their educational demands. 

The school system in the UAE is relatively recent. In 1952, there were very few official schools in the country. In the 1960s and 1970s, a school-building initiative enlarged the educational system. Primary and secondary education are now available to everyone. The 2017-2018 academic year saw roughly 1,080,000 students enrolled in 1,219 public and private institutions.

Education reform aims to increase preparation, accountability, standards, and professionalism. In addition, instruction is being rejuvenated with more dynamic learning methods, and English-language education is being blended into other areas, such as math and science. While the Ministry of Education determines the overall plan, education councils established in separate Emirates help to execute government policies. 

According to the  forecasts a 1.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for student enrollment.Between 2022 and 2027, the pre-primary category is predicted to expand the most, with a CAGR of 2.2%, while the primary and secondary segments are expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.5%, reaching a total of 10.8 million pupils. The tertiary category is expected to increase at a 1.7% CAGR during the next five years.

The recent steps taken by regional governments, such as developing PPP projects to create infrastructure and offering long-term visas to students in the UAE, along with greater relationships with overseas universities, are projected to increase enrollment.

K-12 enrollments throughout the six-nation bloc are predicted to expand at a 1.5% CAGR over the next five years, reaching 11.7 million by 2027. The number of pupils in private schools is expected to reach 3.1 million by 2027, increasing at a 1.7% CAGR from 2022. 

Private vs Public schools -

Public schools - The UAE government runs public or government schools, and the state provides and pays for education for children of UAE nationality.

Most public schools are gender-segregated and use an Arabic curriculum with English as a second language.Primary and secondary education are free and mandatory for all pupils (boys and girls) in public schools.

Private Schools - Private schools accept both UAE nationals and expatriate (resident) pupils.

Private schools use 15 distinct curricula, including American, British, Indian, the UAE Ministry of Education Curriculum, the International Baccalaureate (IB), Russian, Japanese, Iranian, French, Pakistani, Filipino, SABIS, IAT, German, and Canadian.

British, American, Ministry of Education (MoE), and Indian - CBSE curriculum UAE are the most popular curricula, accounting for about 90% of the private school population in the UAE.

Arabic language lessons are required for all curriculum.

In the UAE, more than half of Emirati kids attend private schools with a variety of curriculum.

If you have any inquiry, please kindly fill this form and we will get back to you shortly: https://www.educohire.com/contact