Vol. 11, Issue 10, Part B (2025)

Research Objective: The study aims to examine private school inspection outcomes across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the 2023-2025 inspection cycles, focusing on four principal education regulators: the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai, the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), and the Ministry of Education (MOE) governing Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. The research seeks to assess the comparative effectiveness of these regulatory frameworks in promoting quality assurance, leadership development, inclusion practices, and teacher licensing compliance across the nation’s private school sector.
Background: Private education in the UAE reflects diverse demographic and regulatory contexts, shaped by distinct regional priorities. Using a mixed-methods design, the study integrates quantitative inspection data with qualitative contextual analysis to evaluate school quality and leadership outcomes. Across 227 KHDA-regulated schools in Dubai, 10.13% were rated Outstanding, 21.15% Very Good, and 37.44% Good, indicating that nearly 69% perform at or above the Good level. In Abu Dhabi, among 219 ADEK-inspected schools, 5.94% were Outstanding, 23.29% Very Good, and 42.47% Good, representing over 71% achieving Good or higher ratings. In contrast, Sharjah’s 121 schools demonstrated stability with 65.29% rated Good and 11.57% Very Good but no Outstanding schools. The MOE-governed regions lag significantly; Ajman reported 79.49% Acceptable schools, while Ras Al Khaimah exhibited similar patterns, with the majority rated Acceptable or Good and no Outstanding institutions.
Results: The analysis revealed a clear quality gradient, with Dubai and Abu Dhabi leading educational performance through robust governance, accountability mechanisms, and high teacher licensing compliance (87.8% and 89.5%, respectively). Sharjah maintained moderate compliance (83.3%), whereas MOE regions trailed at 82.9%. Leadership ratings followed similar patterns: Dubai recorded 11% Outstanding and 25% Very Good schools, while MOE jurisdictions reflected weaker governance, with only 4% Outstanding and 13% Very Good institutions. Inclusion outcomes demonstrated that Dubai achieved 31% Outstanding and Very Good schools, compared to the Northern Emirates, where 31% were rated Acceptable and 9% Weak and Very Weak. Demographically, Dubai displayed the most international composition 25% Indian, 25% Other Arab, 21% Filipino and Others, 10% Western, and 12% Emirati while Sharjah and the MOE regions exhibited South Asian dominance (30% and 28% Indian students, respectively).
Conclusion: The findings confirm that the UAE has established a strong national baseline of Good quality education supported by rigorous inspection systems and professional standards. Nonetheless, regional inequities persist, with excellence concentrated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, while Sharjah and MOE-regulated regions remain constrained by limited leadership capacity, inconsistent inclusion practices, and lower teacher licensing compliance. The study recommends targeted capacity-building, leadership enhancement, and data-driven policy reforms to reduce disparities and promote an equitable, inclusive, and globally competitive education system across all emirates.