Schools here better run than those in India...

Schools in the Gulf, especially in the UAE, are much better run compared to those in the Subcontinent, according to educationalists from the CBSE Indian schools in the GCC and India.

Speaking at a meeting in Dubai on Saturday, senior members of various educational institutions said, however, when compared to International Baccalaureate (IB) and similar other global curriculums, India’s Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) system of has a long way to go.

Yamesh R Thakrar, Manager International marketing at Educational Initiatives, that has assessed more than 3,000 schools across the United States, Singapore, India, UAE, Kuwait and Bangladesh, said: “Of course, schools in Dubai function much better when compared to those in India or anywhere in the Subcontinent.

Specifically with regards to parental support, Dubai excels,” he said.

The company is currently involved in the assessment of all GEMS schools offering Indian curriculum in the UAE. “The CBSC system was very mechanical until about seven years ago but went through significant changes since then and has accelerated its progress towards being really proactive during the past three years,” said Thakrar.

Farooq Wasil, Director, Asian Schools GEMS Education told 'Emirates 24|7' GEMS was satisfied with recent ratings by Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

“Five of our six schools have been termed 'good' and we are happy with the results.”

Stressing that many schools in Dubai offering Asian curriculum, especially GEMS-managed schools were much better compared to those in India or Pakistan or anywhere in the Subcontinent, he said: “Just look at the importance we give here for various issues such as health and safety and regulation. It is of much higher standard.”

KHDA in its inspection report of 23 Indian and Pakistani schools in Dubai, released last week, said only seven schools could be termed ‘good’, while others are either 'acceptable' or 'unsatisfactory'.

Sridhar Rajagopalan, Managing Director, Educational Initiatives, addressing teachers and educationalists from various CBSC schools said: ‘The Mckinsey report has clearly indicated teachers are the most important resource in school improvement efforts.”

With regards to salaries of teachers, Wasil said the salaries are based on the economic model and the system is complicated. When asked what is the minimum salary GEMS pays its teachers, he said: “Until recently it was about Dh2,900. We are restructuring the packages. Moreover, there are a lot of other benefits that teachers at GEMS institutes receive.”

Thakrar, however, said as a society, we need to address the issue of a teacher’s salries. “We need to ensure the best minds choose to come and educate our children.”

According to him, the starting salary for a school teacher in India today is about Rs12,000 to Rs15,000, similar to what is earned by a call-centre employee, nurse, or clerical staff in a bank.

The minimum salary of a teacher in the UAE is set at Dh2,000, which is less than what a carpenter or a driver earns in the country.