Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research | News | News

"We recognize that we in RAK are only as good as the schools we have and without good schools we cannot realise our dreams or take hold of our future."

"It is my hope and that of the government of RAK that we will be able to have the highest quality teachers and as a result the highest quality schools"

"We need to encourage excellence in our schools now more than ever, as the Arab world is still yet to reach its capacity and is yet to realise its dreams."

"If we in the Arab world are ever to be more than just consumers , then we need to embrace innovation and discovery as never before."

The UAE is a unique slice of Arabia composed of seven different Emirates.
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Ras Al Khaimah has a fabled history dating as far back as 5000 BC.
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Cambria Russell Visits Schools in RAK

04/05/2010

The Foundation's doctoral scholar, Cambria Russell (Columbia University) has begun collecting data for her study of drop-out rates in Ras Al Khaimah Schools. Cambria visited 5 government girls' and boys' schools to interview principals, and has surveyed over 150 students and teachers in the past week. Combining her data with information on the Ras Al Khaimah labour force will help determine the level of the drop-out issue, as well as the factors influencing students' decisions to drop out of secondary school.

A class of 9th grade boys fill out surveys to gauge their attitudes towards school and employment

Analysis at a glance

Initial analysis of the data collected from schools indicates a clear connection between gender and educational outcomes, with the number of drop-outs being considerably higher in boys' schools. While this gender gap does not appear to apply to non-national students attending government schools, in-school factors and labour force factors appear to play roles in the gap.