School Talk: UAE
Welcome to "School Talk: UAE," your go-to podcast for all things education in the United Arab Emirates.
Join us as we sit down with teachers, experts, and parents to explore schools across the UAE.
Each episode provides valuable insights and perspectives from those directly involved in shaping the educational experience.
Whether you're a parent, an educator, or simply curious about the state of education in the UAE, "School Talk: UAE" is your window into the dynamic world of learning in this region.
School Talk: UAE
No KHDA Inspections: Dubai School Inspections Halted
Dubai's educational landscape is shifting dramatically with KHDA's announcement that full school inspections will be suspended for the 2025-2026 academic year. This marks the second consecutive year without comprehensive evaluations, creating a fascinating experiment in educational accountability and freedom.
For parents, this change brings both opportunities and uncertainties. While schools will continue submitting self-evaluation forms covering academic progress, inclusion efforts, and wellbeing initiatives, the familiar inspection ratings that many rely on for school selection will remain static. Perhaps most significantly, the mechanism for determining school fee increases becomes ambiguous without updated ratings to guide the process. Parents now face a landscape where proactive engagement with schools becomes even more crucial – asking for benchmark data, seeking transparency about improvement initiatives, and providing constructive feedback will help maintain visibility into educational quality.
Teachers have largely welcomed this announcement with relief. Without the high-stakes pressure of inspections, educators can focus more authentically on teaching and learning rather than documentation and performance preparation. This newfound freedom creates space for innovation, experimentation, and more responsive approaches to student needs. For students themselves, this could translate into more creative learning environments, reduced testing pressure (especially for younger children), and greater emphasis on wellbeing alongside academic achievement. Schools face perhaps the most interesting challenge – balancing the opportunity to innovate boldly with maintaining rigorous internal standards without external verification. How institutions manage this freedom will likely separate truly excellent schools from those that might drift toward complacency.
Have you noticed changes in your child's school experience already? I'd love to hear your perspective on this educational experiment unfolding across Dubai. Connect with me on Instagram to share your thoughts and join our community of parents, educators and leaders committed to world-class education in the UAE.