New schools in UAE report higher-than-expected enrolments as delayed enrolments continue

The principals of new schools in the UAE say they are taking in more students than expected at the start of the new term.

In some cases, demand for placements has increased by 50% compared to pre-opening forecast numbers.

A new school in the capital even had to add kindergarten classes due to high demand.

Gulf Education Managing Director Eoin Bolger helped establish the Italian International School in Abu Dhabi.

By the end of the admissions cycle, the school will have about 200 students, more than expected in the first year, he said.

“We still have enrollment,” he said. “In fact, we just opened an extra kindergarten class because of demand.

“We’ve seen a lot of Italian families join the school, we’ve also got other expats and Emiratis joining.

“There’s actually a huge appetite for all the different groups of people who want to join the school.”

Schools get creative

In a competitive market, private schools need to think outside the box and keep creating new courses to attract students, school leaders say.

A new school opening this week has hired a nutritionist to design meals for students. Another allows parents to pay tuition using cryptocurrency, and a third introduces later start and end times.

Back to school – in pictures

The creativity seems to have paid off. Enrollment at many of the new campuses has been higher than expected, and students are still on the September admissions list after the semester begins.

Tracy Moxley, principal of the Dubai Civic School, which opened on Monday, said the school started with 200 students and expected to have 250 to 300 students by the end of September.

“I think we have to stop recruiting to some extent and focus on our students on campus, and maybe open up recruiting again in January,” Ms Moxley said.

“Dubai is a very competitive market. It pushes anyone opening a new school to really look at these offerings and really think about what the current climate demands.”

She says her school has captured the imagination of parents who are looking for a different way to educate.

“We’re focused on using technology as a tool for students to learn, and using technology to support learning, such as artificial intelligence projects.”

The school will offer a project-based curriculum and allow parents to pay in bitcoin and ether. To date, only a few parents have opted to pay their fees in cryptocurrencies.

Begin to attract students later

Bloom World Academy in Al Barsha South is expected to have 250 students, but will soon enroll more than 300 students.

School principal John Bell said he was pleased with the numbers.

“I think we’ve been expecting so many young people because of the services we provide, but it’s nice that we have so many,” he said.

“Based on my experience in Dubai, most schools are probably opening half that number.”

During the school day from 9 am to 4 pm, IB courses The campus will be the first in the city to offer a late start, with classes more than an hour later than most schools in the emirate.

Mr Bell said late arrivals to school had proved popular with parents.

“It seems like more than I thought, most parents really want a 9am start, so that’s what they’re aiming for at the moment,” he added.

“I think the market is saturated and many UK schools have very similar products for children and families.

“So that’s why we offer what we offer, which is this IB plus international program.”

Mr Bolger, of Abu Dhabi’s first Italian school, said opening any school was now extremely competitive and required owners to “think outside the box”.

The “out-of-the-box” approach is what many schools are taking, he said.

“We hired a catering company to provide all school meals,” he said. “It’s a super nutritious food, all designed by trained nutritionists.”

All meals at school are very low in gluten, sugar free and in some cases dairy free.

Each student will take Italian lessons during the week. The goal is that all students should be able to read, write and speak Italian by the end of their school life.

Updated: September 3, 2022 2:00 AM