Sharjah schools' report card shows marked “improvement” this year, with no private school rated 'weak' or 'very weak', the emirate's private education regulator found.
The second edition of Sharjah Private Education Authority's (SPEA) Itqan programme evaluated 63 of the 129 private schools for the academic year 2023-2024.
It included schools that had not been previously reviewed and those that obtained an 'acceptable' ranking or below in the first round of inspections held in the 2022-2023 academic year.
The final results rated one school as 'outstanding', nine schools as 'very good', 69 schools as 'good' and 38 as 'acceptable'. No school was rated 'weak' or 'very weak'.
It showed that 100 per cent of private schools in the Emirate provide 'acceptable' or better education, and 68 per cent provide 'good' or better education.
The names of the inspected schools were not disclosed.
SPEA did not confirm if the rankings will be linked to an increase in school fees for the new academic year.
The current results showed a significant improvement in the quality of education provided in the emirate, when compared to the evaluations done in 2018 and 2019. It showed an increase in the number of schools providing 'good' or better education from only eight schools to 79 schools.
The inspected schools covered nine different curriculums and 78,638 pupils.
Dr Muhadditha Al Hashimi, chairwoman of SPEA, highlighted how the inspections are aimed at developing and improving the quality of private school education and achieving “distinguished education” by 2025.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 390bhp
Torque: 400Nm
Price: Dh340,000 ($92,579
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
How it works
A $10 hand-powered LED light and battery bank
Device is operated by hand cranking it at any time during the day or night
The charge is stored inside a battery
The ratio is that for every minute you crank, it provides 10 minutes light on the brightest mode
A full hand wound charge is of 16.5minutes
This gives 1.1 hours of light on high mode or 2.5 hours of light on low mode
When more light is needed, it can be recharged by winding again
The larger version costs between $18-20 and generates more than 15 hours of light with a 45-minute charge
No limit on how many times you can charge
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Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
