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A workshop was organized by Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) to explore opinions of private school principals on important provisions of the new Private School Regulations recently developed by ADEC for regulating and improving the performance of private schools in Abu Dhabi. Attended by private school principals, the informative workshop focused on collecting feedback from principals on the impact of these important provisions.
Mr. Yousif Al Sheryani, ADEC’s Executive Director of Private Schools and Quality Assurance (PSQA), said that the private school sector is a main source for graduating qualified students capable of meeting the job market needs, which ultimately helps achieve the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. “The new regulations aim to reorganize the private school sector based on best practices and establish an effective partnership between ADEC and private schools in order to elevate the quality of educational and learning outcomes to the international levels”, Al Sheryani added.
“Abu Dhabi has world-class schools and other schools that need to adopt a philosophy of continuous improvement. ADEC seeks to enhance the role played by private schools in line with its 10-year Strategic Plan aiming at developing the educational system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. In general, private schools accommodate a bigger number of students compared to public schools in the Emirate,” he added.
“The regulations constitute a roadmap for schools to follow in order to provide quality education. ADEC is keen to obtain feedback from schools and deal with any obstacles or difficulties that may face them while implementing the new regulations. This will allow ADEC to provide schools with necessary technical assistance to ensure that regulations are successfully implemented’’ he pointed out.
Professor Anwar Dawood, Policy, Planning and Performance Management Division Manager, said that ADEC received favorable feedback from private school principals who are satisfied with the procedures taken by ADEC for elevating the performance of their schools. “They have also lauded ADEC for being keen to work closely with schools and regard them as strategic partners to achieve the ultimate goal of developing education in Abu Dhabi,” Professor Dawood added.
Dr. Maryam Ahmed Al Ali, Policy Section Manager, said that topics covered by the workshop included principal and teacher efficiency and licensing. Each principal and teacher must have the experience and efficiency level necessary for meeting ADEC standards set for educators. Private schools also need to provide their staff with the necessary professional development programs, she added.
“Comments and suggestions provided by principals on the impact of implementing the new private schools regulations were also discussed” Dr. Al Ali pointed out.
During the workshop, a discussion took place on the mechanism of school reporting, one of the main areas of the regulations. Schools will have to submit regular reports on school performance as well as on its academic, administrative and financial operations. The purpose is to monitor school performance and provide assistance necessary for overcoming any obstacles. “Transparency of reports is of paramount importance for schools and ADEC”, she emphasized.
Among other topics discussed were the types and frequency of reports currently developed by schools and the amount of time and work done by school staff concerned. Moreover, participants also discussed all aspects pertaining to the development of reports that include annual administrative reports, school development plan, self-assessment report, educational policies, school-based assessments, student performance assessment reports, financial reports and recruitment plan.
A discussion was also made on curriculum, its requirements and ADEC’s curriculum standards. A survey was conducted to know whether curriculum applied by schools covers content and required learning outcomes. Another survey was carried out to obtain feedback from principals on establishing a board of trustees in each school in order to develop strategic plans and policies and monitor school performance in accordance with the governance standards applied by well-known educational institutions around the world.
Participants were welcomed by Paul Andrews, ADEC’s Project Manager for the development of the new regulations and policies, who provided a brief overview of the transition of regulatory authority to ADEC and explained that ADEC’s new regulations would create the pre-conditions for a rapid improvement in the quality of the private schools sector as a whole.
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