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Pakistani schools need community support

Two of the three Pakistani schools inspected by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) were found to be unsatisfactory, while one school was rated acceptable, according to the latest report on the Indian and Pakistani schools.

While the schools have recorded slow progress in teacher development and all-round student attainment, principals have cited lack of resources as a major reason for the poor standings. The only acceptable school, Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistani School, is managed by the Pakistani Consulate.

Tariq Iqbal Soomro, Consul-General of Pakistan in Dubai said, “In the light of the last KHDA report we made certain amendments in the school and it has brought results. We will continue to make efforts to improve our rating and we look forward to a better standing in the next report.”

Two other schools, Pakistan Education Academy and Al Farooq Pakistani Islamic School were judged overal as unsatisfactory when they were inspected.

Speaking with Khaleej Times, Tabinda Al Ghizala, Principal, Pakistan Education Academy cited the shrinking student community and constrained support as factors contributing to the poor ratings.

“It is a community school and we need support from the people. We are making our best efforts to improve the school and I agree that certain aspects of the school need to change to bring it on par with some of the better performing schools,” said Tabinda.

However, she lamented the inspection process for not taking into account the low school fees while categorising a school as unsatisfactory.

“We are one of the oldest Pakistani schools in Dubai and our fee structure is relatively affordable when compared to other schools in the area. We are a competitive school and we provide equal opportunities to our students, but economics play an important role,” added Tabinda.

The report expressed major concern with the Pakistani schools as it cited ‘weaknesses in staffing, facilities and resources’. Both the ‘unsatisfactory’ schools received the same rating in the last report.

muaz@khaleejtimes.com