Dubai will get 10 private schools in the new academic year, it was announced on Tuesday.
The new schools will add 14,671 additional seats, the emirate’s education regulator Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said.
The schools are located in Tilal Al Ghaf, Al Warqa, Al Karama, Al Barsha, City Walk, Mirdif, Nad Al Sheba, Al Khawaneej and Rashidiya. They offer a choice of Australian, UK, US and IB curricula.
This year will mark the opening of the first ever Australian curriculum school in Dubai. Additionally, the first Dubai campus of Britain’s prestigious 500-year-old Royal Grammar School Guildford is expected to open later this year, taking the total number of international branch schools in Dubai to seven.
A total of 25 new private schools have opened in Dubai over the last three years. Between September 2020 and February 2021, Dubai witnessed a 2.6 per cent overall growth in student enrolment, according to the latest landscape report released in February 2021 by KHDA.
Mohammed Darwish, CEO of Permits and Compliance at KHDA, said: “We are happy to welcome 10 new schools to Dubai, which will now provide parents with more educational choices.
“The continued demand for new schools reflects the resilience of Dubai’s private education sector and reflects the success of our strategy to attract high-quality schools that meet Dubai’s aspirations and needs.”
Dubai is home to 210 schools offering 17 different curricula. A total of 286,588 students are currently enrolled: 138,917 girls and 147,671 boys.
With nearly 110,000 students, UK curriculum schools account for 38 per cent of all student enrolments. Indian curriculum schools were the second most popular in Dubai, with over 75,000 students enrolled.
With Covid vaccinations open to children aged 12 and above, many schools expect 100 per cent attendance from the new academic year. Currently, a hybrid format is in place, with parents having the option to choose between in-person and distance learning.
© Khaleej Times
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