Education for Emiratis until 18 to be mandatory

In order to check the high school dropout rates, the Ministry of Education (MoE) could raise the compulsory education age to 18 by next year for UAE nationals, according to a Khaleej Times report.

Currently, education is compulsory for UAE citizens up to the age of 15, that is until Grade 9 in the country.

A majority of the dropouts have been recorded at the high school level by the education authority.

According to latest ministry figures, more than 10,000 secondary public school students have dropped out while Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) placed the dropout rate in the emirate at 22 per cent among boys and 14 per cent among girls.

“We are working on increasing the compulsory education age and by the beginning of next year it will be announced,” said Shaikha Al Shamsi, Chief Executive for Educational Affairs at the ministry.

In 2008, the UAE announced its plan to raise the age for compulsory education to 18 years at the UN meeting in Geneva.

“Raising the compulsory education age is one of the key component of the strategy that will help minimise the dropout rate,” she told Khaleej Times.

The compulsory education age in developed countries varies between 16 and 18 years.

Dr Natasha Ridge, research fellow at the Dubai School of Government (DSG), said the policy on compulsory education may reduce the dropout rates but other issues that hamper boys education still need to be addressed.

“Raising the compulsory education age will not be able to reduce the excessive absenteeism and poor performance of boys at school,” she said.

According to her, the issue lies in the reasons that cause student to drop out thus causing a huge blow to the country’s economy as well.

The problem of dropouts that is more pertinent among young Emirati boys has been attributed to factors including lack of motivation, a poor teaching and learning environment, social issues like early family responsibility and the lure of jobs in the military and police force.

“There hasn’t been a lot of thought and incentive to keep students in school,” she said.

Public schools for girls have been noted to have higher standards and better learning environment.

“Apart from school data that provides dropout figures there is very little follow up on students that have dropped out,” she said.

In countries such as Canada and the US, early exit from education is only allowed under certain circumstances and with the consent of parents, while in Russia, students may drop out with the approval of the local authority.

Dropping out is also punishable by fines in some countries.

The KHDA has set up a task force to study the issue further, in association with the DSG, the MoE, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Community Development Authority and the Dubai Police.

Dr Ridge believes that raising the compulsory age could be successful only with the support of a curriculum change that provides students with a wider range of vocational subjects in high school.

“More technical and creative subjects like design, music and art must be offered to cater to students interest,” she said.

Al Shamsi said there is a move towards developing a more attractive school system.

“The strategy that we will launch in 2011 will introduce more extracurricular activities, more PE and an overall stimulating school environment that will help raise the education standards,” she said.

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