KHDA consults on development of new inspection bureau

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) recently began consultation with schools, parents, employers and representatives from higher education on the development of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau - a new organisation that will provide transparent and reliable assessment of education in all Dubai schools. It sums up its mission as: "Assuring quality education for all".

Through a series of meetings at KHDA's Academic City offices last week, representatives from Dubai's diverse spectrum of 230 schools, parents and others were consulted on the criteria, or quality indicators, that inspectors will use when school inspections start in September 2008.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, said: "The School Inspection Bureau has been established to provide a comprehensive assessment of educational standards and performance for every school in Dubai. With accurate information on the quality of education available, parents can make informed choices based on transparent information on where to educate their children. Furthermore, by highlighting schools' strengths and weaknesses, schools can use their inspection reports to highlight and celebrate what they do well and use the inspectors' recommendations to change and improve further."

There is a varied range of schools operating in Dubai both government and non-government, with many different curricula being studied. This makes Dubai's education environment unique.
The Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau will evaluate how effective all schools are as educational organisations, but will not evaluate individual teachers, principals or students.

Inspections will be made against defined indicators that are evident in high-performing schools across the world, regardless of the curriculum studied or geographical location. These include, for example, progress of students, quality of teaching and the effectiveness of the school's management and leadership.

Attendees at the consultation meetings, held in English and Arabic, warmly welcomed the opportunity to discuss the quality indicators that are relevant for Dubai's schools. Feedback from the discussions will be used to develop draft quality indicators that will be tested in pilot inspections in the spring.

These consultation meetings come just a few days after Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of KHDA discussed KHDA's visionary approach to creating a world-class and sustainable human development system through collaboration and communication with all stakeholders at the first of many planned events specifically for stakeholders in the education community.

Jameela Al Muhairi, Chief of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, said: "We recognise how internationally, quality assurance and inspection functions play a critical role in the continuous cycle of education improvement. My experience tells me that identifying a school's strong suit, or conversely where there is room to do better, creates pathways to improvement and an overall improvement in quality across the board."

"At the heart of this development is the wellbeing and education of all children in Dubai to help us prepare them for a fulfilling future in the workplace. The Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau is a significant development and we have made a great start in developing the Bureau in collaboration with stakeholders this week. We will continue to work closely with all of the key stakeholders to ensure that the Bureau meets the very specific requirements of Dubai's diverse education system."

The Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau is the first organisation in the UAE solely dedicated to defining and measuring the quality of school education in Dubai. It will also enable parents to make informed choices about education provision for their children.

The Bureau will identify strengths and weaknesses and highlight areas for improvement. Schools will be able to use their inspection reports to highlight and celebrate what they do well and use the inspectors' recommendations to help them devise plans to make changes and improve still further.

KHDA having tapped into the experience of leading educational systems worldwide, is currently developing this customised set of inspection processes, procedures and an appropriate organisation. It will also continuously be consulting with the education community including principals, teachers, parents and owners on the development of the Bureau.