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Schools’ data set to help raise standards

According to Ms. Naima Hamad Al Aryani, Director of the Foreign Schools Department, it is part of a strategic plan for assessing the academic standards of private and foreign schools for further and continuous improvement.

"The ministry is seriously concerned about the standard of education imparted to students by these schools and want to assist them in boosting their efforts to be on par with international standards. This is undertaken by comprehensive data collection covering different aspects of the schools, an analysis of the data collected, followed by on-site visits and inspection by academic supervisors to verify the accuracy of the details provided within the format.

"All these efforts are directed for the planned classification of foreign schools into various categories," remarked Ms. Naima in an interview with Khaleej Times.

The collection of data is already under way as the format prepared by the Foreign Department has already been sent to the various schools in the UAE. The collected data will also be used as a valuable data bank that will help the ministry assess the current situation and later facilitate a better-planned course of action in the future, added Ms. Naima. The Foreign Department has also drawn up a detailed manual of procedures for admission, registration, attestation, appointment etc. aimed at increasing the efficiency of the ministry's employees who have to daily deal with matters concerning schools.

"The procedure will explain all the proceedings in simple words and will serve as a ready reference for those working in different sections and dealing with schools, students and teachers," said Ms. Naima highlighting the positive aspects of the draft. She added that the new system can actually save a lot of time and energy for both the schools and the ministry.

There will be yet another list of procedures that will come handy to the school administration and parents as well, when they approach the ministry for various purposes. "The lack of knowledge regarding the required documents to be attached, the section to be approached for specific needs etc. are the biggest hassles that create unnecessary delays, which is a matter of grave concern for many," remarked Ms. Naima.

The third one, which defines the duties and responsibilities of each employee in the department, is yet another positive step undertaken by the department to enhance the efficiency of the department staff.

"The manual will give each person a clear idea of his/her field of work and they will be evaluated on the basis of their performance. This will not only help them to be more focussed in their work but also produce better results," she added. Ms. Naima said that regular in-house training and refreshing courses are now being conducted for both the fresh and experienced employees to hone their working skills and knowledge. "The exchange of ideas between the senior and junior staff are facilitated by encouraging group discussions," she said.

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