Schools in Dubai report high acceptance rates

DUBAI: As the new term begins, several schools in the UAE have revealed that they are enrolling students this academic year, even as applications for the next academic year are steadily increasing.

Student enrollments at the Taaleem Premium Group of Schools for one are up 16 per cent so far this year. “For the 2022-23 school year, we have grown our overall enrollment by more than 16 percent,” said Lisa Whyte, Head of Admissions at Taaleem.

The group also noted a 4 per cent drop in students leaving school. “While it is expected that students will leave as a result of families relocating to another country, we are pleased to report that the number of students leaving has decreased by 4% compared to the same period last year.”

Among new students, an average of 34% came from other countries. “This figure demonstrates the growing interest in and demand for quality education in the UAE,” White said.

Looking ahead to the 2023-24 academic year, Taaleem reports that applications to its quality schools have increased by 5 per cent compared to the same period last year.

“This demonstrates the continued strong interest in our school and reflects the success of our ongoing efforts to provide students with the best possible education at an affordable price. We are committed to investing in our educators, using technology to improve learning outcomes and provide an inclusive learning environment that fosters personal and academic growth,” Whyte added.

Alan Williamson, CEO of Taaleem, said: “We are competing globally to recruit the best teachers and are investing in ‘outstanding’ educators as well as further capital expenditure and school improvement programs to improve the outcomes of our students. Learning environment. Our values-based education model is reflected in our recent Taaleem inspection results where we saw improvements across 84 indicators across our six schools. We are particularly proud of the further progress we have made in Arabic and Islamic Studies , which reflects our commitment to providing a well-rounded education that respects Emirati culture and traditions. Taaleem remains committed to providing the best possible education to our students and we believe our continued efforts will continue to facilitate their academic and personal growth. We understand the burden The importance of capacity and accessibility, we will continue to work to make education accessible to all families, regardless of their financial status.”

Rob Kesterton, Acting Principal of Jumeirah Academy, said: “The school has increased the number of students in Year 7 by 80, which provides four additional teaching groups. We are also looking to expand in Years 8, 9, 10 and 12. We are fully Inclusive. Our students come in a wide range of abilities and nationalities. We are very proud of our SEN offering, and our consistently world-leading added value is only possible with a very inclusive intake.”

Maryssa O’Connor, CEO/Principal of GEMS Wellington International School and Senior Vice President of Education at GEMS Education, said: “We have seen an increase in enrollment numbers and GEMS Wellington International School alone is currently full. GEMS Wellington International School is a very Popular school, we are constantly receiving applications from the UAE and overseas. We have a non-selective admissions process and an inclusive international student body. The school does have waiting lists for certain year groups and gives priority to wishers in the following academic year Existing families re-enrolling.”

Pramod Mahajan, director and principal of Al Ghubaiba Indian School in Sharjah, also said the school has shown great interest in new enrollments. “For KG 1 admission alone, we have received 2,000 applications. Due to the high demand, we have decided to admit students by lottery. We have also seen high demand for applications for Year 11. Our school already has 11 classes. So we are holding entrance exams to admit new students. Existing Year 11 students will also be admitted based on their semi-annual exams and pre-entry results. We are taking average marks and if their marks are above 60%, we will admit them them.”

There has also been a 25% increase in student applications for the new academic year at Indian colleges compared to last year. “This may be due to our school’s ratings and the influx of families into the UAE,” principal Shiny Davison said. “We have had a lot of enrollments this academic year, 510 so far. This comes from inside and outside the emirate,” she added.

Another factor that might entice parents to enroll their children at an Indian college is the fact that the school doesn’t increase tuition, Davidson added. “Indian College is very concerned about the well-being of all our stakeholders. Although the KHDA has given us the option, we will not increase our fees. We will strive to provide the best service within the approved fee structure for the current 2023-24 academic year,” she said explain.

The Indian High School Group, which has also not increased tuition fees, said student numbers have grown steadily over the years. “We will not raise tuition fees for the new school year,” said IHS chief executive Punit MK Vasu, adding that the hallmark of a school’s success is efficient use of resources.