In Dubai education becomes compulsory for all children from the age of five with state education freely available to UAE nationals up to the age of eighteen.  Expatriates moving to live and work in Dubai usually send their children to one of over eighty private and fee paying schools available in the UAE that mainly follow the British or American national curricula.

There are also schools available in the UAE catering to children from French, German, Egyptian, Indian, Pakistani, Filipino and Japanese backgrounds and the standard and availability of education in Dubai is generally very high.  This article examines the options available to parents of children living in Dubai from pre-school age right through to tertiary education age.

It can be hard for wives of expatriates living and working in Dubai to secure employment visas and as a result the majority of mothers have to stay at home which can make it quite difficult for those newly arrived in the UAE to socialize and make friends.  One of the best ways to eradicate this problem very quickly is to enter children into school and even preschool children can attend nurseries, kindergartens or playgroups.  These are often run by volunteers and they become a meeting place for like minded women seeking company.

The age at which schooling becomes compulsory in Dubai is five as stated; from the age of five children attend primary school.  Some of the most popular primary schools are those teaching the British national curriculum and which are affiliated directly with the British education standards board known as OFSTED.  Schools such as the Jumeirah English Speaking School, Dubai English Speaking School and Jumeirah Primary School all have annual inspections by OFSTED and work hard to maintain their excellent reputation.

Naturally enough, the higher the standards of the school the more popular the education establishment, the higher the fees and the longer the waiting list for entry!  Those aware in advance that they will be moving to Dubai should enrol their children into their preferred school as early as possible.  Enrolment often requires parents and children to attend a face to face interview and for children to take a basic test to assess their educational ability.  It’s worth noting that after May the 1st until the start of the new school year in September children are not allowed to start school, children cannot change schools in an academic year without special permission and schools are closed in July and August for summer holidays.

Expatriates who secure good jobs in Dubai are sometimes able to negotiate the payment of school fees for their children as part of their remuneration package – but for those who will have to foot the bill for private schools in Dubai it’s imperative that fees are researched before a commitment is made to relocate to the UAE as it can be very expensive educating a child overseas – forewarned is forearmed!

The majority of schools only teach children from around 8am to 1.30 or 2.30pm from Wednesday to Saturday although some schools teach in shifts, some have afternoon classes for boys only and others offer parents day boarding options for their children so that they remain in school after teaching hours and do their homework and engage in extra curricula activities such as sporting or social clubs.

Parents of Pakistani children often find that the demand for places at schools teaching their national curriculum is intense as the number of Pakistani workers in Dubai is very high indeed.  It is in these schools where children can end up being taught in shifts.  Naturally this is a negative side to education in Dubai.  Other negative aspects include the fees payable for a high standard of education and the fact that by its very nature Dubai is quite a transitory place, this means that there is both a fast turn over of teaching staff and a fast turn over of pupils – both groups tend to move on frequently which can be unsettling for children.  Parents who later reintegrate their children back into schools in the country from which they originate often find that their children have to catch up.

Until very recently the standard and availability of tertiary education in Dubai was limited, so much so that parents with children of university age often preferred to send their children back to their home country to attend college.  However slowly but surely all that is changing, and now with the development of Dubai’s Knowledge Village the availability of quality university education in Dubai will become far more easily obtainable.

At the moment the numbers of establishments and the range of subjects they teach are limited, but new developments are occurring all the time.  An example of the type of university education available can be found at the British University in Dubai where the Universities of Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff and London have all affiliated with different schools at the university which specialize in subjects such as engineering, education, informatics, and finance and banking to ensure students who attend gain recognised and respected qualifications.

There are a number of specialist colleges in Dubai as well for pupils who wish to study for a specific career, the latest example of which is Emaar’s property management academy which teaches a broad range of subjects related to the real estate industry.  All in all Dubai is an excellent centre for educational excellence which means that those moving with their family to live in Dubai need have no major concerns about the availability and standard of schooling for pupils and students of all ages.