Schools in Dubai

It has been found that many schools in Dubai are turning in favor of parents. Teachers said that children studying in Dubai private schools may need to start earlier and finish later to adjust to new demands from the education regulator. There is very less physical activity for the children these days. According to a report, “The education sector in Dubai is now at a tipping point, with aggressive marketing and tuition fee discounts symptomatic of an oversupply of schools”. Schools are finding it difficult to increase physical activity of students with the addition of 13 schools in the current academic year, bringing the total number of private schools to 207.

Packed curriculums could be the biggest barrier in front of plans to increase physical activity in private schools to 150 minutes a week to try and improve the health of children. GEMS Education, the Dubai-based school operator backed by Blackstone Group LP, postponed plans for an initial public offering after the decision, people with knowledge of the matter said in June. However the Dubai Health Authority has outlined a new plan for all private schools focused on disease prevention and encouraging students to lead a healthy lifestyle which includes 150 minutes of exercise a week for students. Now a days, the teachers and principals acknowledge exercise and diet is important and agree that they should be at the foundations of good school ratings, the time to factor in extra activity sessions could prove challenging. But besides the core curriculum, in Dubai, moral education, Arabic, Islamic and social studies are equally critical and cannot be neglected. This even makes it harder for schools to manage and schedule this into their day. Teachers have responded to sweeping changes planned as to how Dubai’s private schools will function. As part of the strategy, the DHA will launch 12 programmes based on three components, disease prevention and early detection, health information and research whilst encouraging students to lead a healthy lifestyle. A 2017 study by HSBC Holdings Plc. found spending on children’s education in the U.A.E. is the second-highest in the world, after Hong Kong. Where exercise usually has a positive impact on classroom performance, but we have additional pressure from the curriculum, the biggest problem faced currently is how to fit additional exercise in during the day for students. The DHA aims to increase fruit and vegetable intake among students aged 7-15 years-old and encourage healthier food consumption, by implementing new programs. Not only this but it also aims to increase physical activity amongst students aged 7-15 years-old and decrease obesity in line with the Dubai plan and UAE vision 2021.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-13/a-billionaire-vanished-for-400-days-and-his-global-empire-boomed