Knowledge and Human Development Authority Archives

School inspections improve the quality and standard of schools. Hence it is the responsibility of each one of us to take care of our valuable schools and maintain its worthiness.

Dubai government have taken an initiative to improve the quality of private schools, known as Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). The KHDA inspection use four -point scale to rate the schools.

The four levels in the scale are as follows:

Outstanding
Good
Acceptable
unsatisfactory

KHDA publishes the rating of each inspected schools in its website. The rating of each school helps parents in deciding the school for their children. This obviously improves the standard of the school.

Read Also: KHDA and Surprise School Inspections [will they do it?]

Why school inspection matters?

School inspection is the process of monitoring and evaluating the academic performance and development of schools. The inspecting team inspects qualification and fitness of staff, provision and appliances of instructions, health and recreation activities, discipline among students, infrastructure, fee structure, attendance, subjects taught and examination results. They also look for personal development, welfare and behaviour, moral, cultural and spiritual growth of the children.

The inspection team assess quality of teaching based on their observation. To make the inspection beneficial, a proper relationship should be maintained between school authorities and the inspection team.

Here are some reasons why inspecting schools is necessary:

To grant approval from government:

Schools are inspected with respect of their pupil’s enrolment, number, teacher’s qualification, infrastructure, equipment, curriculum etc. If they meet all these necessities according to the requirement, then government nods approval.

To inspect for operational improvement:

The inspection team takes details about staffs, student population, school finance, academic programmes, co-curricular activities, health and sanitary aspects in the school. Based on this record, they call a meeting with school authorities to improve the operation of school.

To inspect the school’s programme recognition:

This is conducted to recognize and approve various academic performances. The team inspect in terms of quality, quantity, staffing and equipments which are used to present students effectively.

To inspect school if there is any situational demand:

Here the school is not inspected for measuring the productivity but for evaluating the specific case or situation. Such inspection is essential when there is any crisis.

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Inspections Evaluates and Sustains Quality

More inspection improves the standard of the school as the inspecting team focus on the development of the school. The suggestion put forth by inspection team is practical and accurate. Credibility and respectability of the inspection team is very much essential. Without proper inspection, no school will undergo development. Hence regular inspection is necessary for a school.

As you are probably aware, Knowledge and Human Development Authority aims at upgrading Dubai private education sector to international standards. This government institution issues KHDA ranking to schools after conducting strict inspections regularly. The rankings thus procured speak about the quality of schools.

KHDA usually informs schools about the inspection three weeks ahead of schedule. Obtaining a better ranking in KHDA is a licence for schools to hike their fees. This is to encourage schools to maintain their educational standards

Ratings of KHDA and fee hike depending on it

Outstanding – 6% hike
Good – 4.5% hike
Acceptable – No
Unsatisfactory – No

School Inspections

Schools get three weeks time to make necessary changes for better ranking. Instructions are given to teachers, students and schools staffs for better behaviour. The sole purpose of rehearsals is to impress the inspectors.

Good performance can win schools better ratings. Better rating yields a licence for fee hike. Teachers and students turn to be actors and school a theatre during the inspection day. Things become normal after the day of inspection. Teachers and students are left to no choice, but to go with the flow.

Mock Drills for Perfection

Yes, you heard it right. To reassure that everything is well-organised, schools conduct mock drills of the inspection. Hiring fake inspectors for mock drills is a common practice.

A school borrowed maths teacher from another school, as its own teacher did not have eligibility criteria.

“Teachers from our sister institutions double up as dummy inspectors and come to our school where they hold several rounds of mock inspections to iron out the kinks. It’s like a fire drill, but more exhaustive,” said a teacher

There are more tricks

Certain schools even change the seating arrangement during inspection. Bright students are placed at back rows, average students at front and below average in the middle rows. It’s a psychology that the inspector asks questions to the last benchers. Even if they are unaware about the answer, students should raise their hands.

Schools told some 11- grade students to showcase a skit for the morning assembly during the day of inspection.

“The school wanted to show that such skits are a routine feature. The fact is they’re not,” said a student.

Parents, it’s your turn

Parents also play a major role to make a fool out of KHDA inspections. Schools arrange parents for ‘special briefing’, a weekend before the inspection.

“We were told not to pack junk food in the tiffin that week and teach our children everyday so that they come prepared,” said a parent.

School authorities force parents to say good things about them. Parents fear that after rated ‘outstanding’, schools issue fee hike.

Teachers are also stressed

Teachers stay back even after working hours to prepare for KHDA inspection. The school management wants teachers to struggle for good ranking. Teachers can scarcely concentrate on their daily lessons due to the preparations for inspection.

“In the past fortnight or so, I’ve barely slept for three hours. Most nights were spent tweaking lesson plans, preparing self-evaluation reports and making teaching aids. KHDA wants evidence of all school activities we have done over the year. We’ve proof of a few, the rest have been faked. But in trying to pack a year’s work in one week, my blood sugar has shot up… I’ve no time to see a doctor,” a kindergarten teacher expressed.

Unrealistic Picture

Real picture of the school is different from the one shown to KHDA inspectors. Often unrealistic pictures are the basis of school ratings. This year 80% private schools in Dubai have increased their fees on the basis of the ratings.

Is this of any use?

Most of the parents questions about the advantage of informed school inspections. It’s like inspection for the sake of inspection. Parents are against the inspection method done by KHDA. It’s easy for schools to hide their problems that reduce ranking if the inspection date is already informed.

Explanation of KHDA

The issue had created quite a stir among parents. Jameela Al Muhairi is the Chief of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) at the KHDA. She clarified that there are reasons behind three-week notice period before inspection.

KHDA needs key documents before inspection
KHDA needs to confirm that the inspection is fair, rigorous and well-organised
Students ands parents might not be present during un informed inspection

“We want to work with schools and parents as much as possible to gain an accurate and fair view of the typical work of each school,” she added.

So, what do you think? Would it help if there is a new process set up to make surprise inspections necessary or is the issue just being overblown? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section.