The UAE over the past two decades has been putting efforts into crafting a complete and contemporary framework of educational structure to meet the increasing growth of the populace. Offering quality education along with the global competitiveness, the education system in UAE reflects the blend of traditional value system and the modern methods for enhancing the performance of the students in the future.

Let’s take a look at the education system in UAE, which covers the pre-primary, primary, secondary, and tertiary education and the changes that it has undergone.

Early Childhood Education

Preschool education in the UAE is acknowledged to be the critical phases in the young learner’s development. The government has given a lot of consideration on enhancing quality and/or availability of pre-primary schooling. Preschools or child care centres can be found in every province which offers classes for kids 4-6 years of age. 

These institutions lay down concern with minimum educational needs that includes literacy and numeracy and social education to prepare children for their formal education.Most of the kindergartens in the UAE adopt curriculum of the British or American systems other than the Ministry of Education curriculum. This means that there is a focus toward the development of an environment that supports the child in this process of learning.

Primary and Secondary Education

Education in the UAE has seven years of primary and seven years of secondary education for all children through the age of six to eighteen years. The education system is divided into three stages.

Cycle 1 (Grades 1-5)

This stage concentrates on first cycle or primary education: literacy, numeracy, science, social studies, etc. English and Arabic are among the subjects taught and are main subjects as English and Arabic are main languages in UAE schools.

Cycle 2 (Grades 6-9)

In this stage students start to expand knowledge gained in the previous stage and meet more specific classes like mathematics, science, history, geography, etc. Active thinking and reason solving abilities are highlighted so as to equip students to face the tasks that come along with schooling.

Cycle 3 (Grades 10-12)

The last stage of secondary education is very significant since learners are preparing for their future job or college. At this stage they have to decide on their course of study, science, literature or technical, according to their choice or ambition. The curricular emphasis is placed on the formation of critical thinking abilities, personal creativity and carefully honed sense of responsibility.

Most of the UAE’s public schools teach a MoE prescribed curriculum with Islamic education, Arabic language and UAE social studies being compulsory subjects. However, private schools foster a plethora of international education systems such as the British, American, Indian and the International Baccalaureate system among others to suit all the expatriate groups.

Higher Education

Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the UAE has rapidly developed this sector emphasising on excellence in education and creation. The country has several university institutions that are both public as well private that offer various undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Public Universities

Several public universities exist in the UAE and some of these include the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), Zayed University and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). These are the institutions that boast of a strong academic calendar, research and development and focus on innovation. Public universities are mainly for Emirati students but they also allow students from other countries to apply.

Private Universities

The UAE has also had many private universities and campuses of foreign universities; therefore, the host country matters. These are New York University Abu Dhabi, American University of Sharjah, and the British University in Dubai. Private universities in the UAE provide a wide area of study and have a tendency to conform to the standards of the countries they originated from and thus they attract students from different parts of the world.

The UAE government has also come up with policies that aim at developing research and innovation in higher education institutions through creation of research institutions and affiliation with foreign universities. All these endeavours are meant to refashion the country into a knowledge-based economy that will further drive the economic growth of the UAE.

Recent Developments and Challenges

The education system of the UAE still remains a work in progress, as the country strives to continually enhance the quality and expand the enrolment to its education system. The government has programs to enhance the use of computers in schools, teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and enhance teachers’ training. However, the education system is not without its issues. For example, it needs to tap into cultures while at the same time preparing the learners for a more open world. Furthermore, the ministry does continue to strive to improve the accessibility of adequate quality educational opportunities for all learners especially in the rural regions by the support of the UAE government.

Education in the UAE involves provision of knowledge in response to the country’s vision to transform into a knowledge based economy. The UAE offers all types of opportunities at every level as it has a well-developed early childhood education system accompanied by a wide array of primary and secondary education opportunities and of course, numerous high level educational institutions around the globe. With the country on the move forward embracing modernity the education sector will be instrumental in preparing the nation’s leaders of the future.