EDUCATION IN THE EMIRATES

After the creation of the UAE in 1972, the newly established Ministry of Education began to consolidate an eclectic mix of schools, gradually launching its National Curriculum project to create a single Emirati curriculum - a move that eventually came into force in 1985.

The education system in the UAE consists of both a public and a private sector. The public education sector, freely available to all UAE citizens, is fully funded by the federal government. The entire education system is overseen by the Ministry of Education whose members are appointed by the Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai.

The UAE Public Sector education system is a four-tier system covering 14 years of education, commencing with Kindergarten which is for ages 4 to 5 and ending with Secondary which is 3 years in duration and for ages 15 to 18. At the completion of secondary school, students are awarded a Secondary School Leaving Certificate.

For higher education, the public sector offers a myriad of options. UAE University opened in 1976 and caters to both men and women and consists of nine colleges. Zayed University opened in 1998 and currently serves 2,500 women only. The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) serve both men and women and have around 15,000 students. The language of instruction in all schools is Arabic but all public higher education is conducted in English

The Private Sector emerged in response to the expatriate population needs, and caters to about 40% of the student population. The private sector is currently growing at a faster rate than the public sector and there are now an almost equal number of public and private schools in the country. There is a wide network of private schools ranging from Indian curriculum schools to British schools and private Arabic speaking schools.

The Federal government of the UAE is the majority financer of public education. It funds the building of schools, teachers’ salaries, textbooks, transportation of students and in theory all other capital and recurrent expenditures on education. In terms of the fiscal effort, the percentage devoted to education in the UAE is much higher than many developing and developed countries, with an impressive 33% of the national budget spent on education in 2007.

The UAE and the Government of Ras Al Khaimah are now looking to actively develop the quality of the education system. The Government of Ras Al Khaimah is seeking to improve the quality of education in RAK through sponsoring research and partnering with educational institutions with the aim of developing schools. The Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Scholarship Programs are the first step in this vision, facilitating and sponsoring research that will inform and guide education policy and practice.