Scholarship until graduation for outstanding Emirati students in UAE

Dubai - The scholarships are part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Distinguished Students Programme.

As many as 324 Emirati students are benefitting from scholarships which enable them to attend private schools rated as 'good or above' by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).
The scholarships are part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Distinguished Students Programme, which was launched in 2017 and provides opportunities to outstanding Emirati students.
On Saturday, the KHDA officials met parents, whose children are enrolled in the programme, to discuss positive changes the scholarship has brought to the family and the students. Fatma Al Marri, CEO of Development of Emirati Student Education Programmes, said: "The students will be offered the scholarships until they graduate. The programme will continue for 15 or 20 years and we will ensure that students who were accepted into this project do graduate.
"The meetings were to explain the scholarships, encourage them to be more active, involved and engaged in the school and activities. The target of this scholarship is to upgrade the Emirati student's quality of education."
Also, the KHDA has recently launched the Emirati Parents' Support Centre to help guide parents with children in private schools "make more informed decisions" when it comes to their child's educational needs.
"The centre is focusing more on supporting the parents so that they can make the right choices for their child's education. We don't force the parents to move their children to a better rated school, we support them through awareness," Al Marri added.
"We are working on studying the students within the acceptable and weak schools to analyse why parents chose these schools. If it's because of finances and affordability, we have this scholarship."
It was last year Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, had directed the KHDA to increase enrolment of Emirati students in 'good', 'very good' or 'outstanding'-rated private schools by 100 per cent within three years.
The 'Dubai Private Schools: A Decade of Growth report released by the KHDA earlier this year showed that only 26 per cent of Emirati students attended 'good' or better schools in 2008. However, by 2018, that rate had grown to 62 per cent of Emirati students.
Parents find significant improvement in kids
Emirati parents are reporting a "significant improvement" in their child's educational development since they were offered a scholarship to attend a ''very good" or above rated private school.
One parent said the multinational environment in her children's private school is helping them become "more accepting" and open-minded. While, another parent said her children's private school is helping her young ones develop "real world skills".
Jawaher Khalil Quayed has four children and one of them - who is in grade 4 - has a scholarship through the Mohammed bin Rashid Distinguished Students Programme.
She said: "Each teacher is responsible for a specific number of students, which means she knows the strengths and weakness of each child. The way it has improved his personality, look at life and question things in a different way is just miraculous. I think these are the skills they will actually need when they go into the real world."
Iman Abodui, another parent, who has two children with scholarships, said: "The kids are also exposed to different cultures, religions and nationalities. Being in multinational schools from childhood is very important so they can adapt to the changes our country is going through."
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai