As more people are getting on board, Dubai homeschooling is slowly getting more and more attention as a viable option for parents of children who are going to school. An increasing number of parents from the United Arab Emirates are homeschooling their children because it is a more cost-effective option for them. Increased competition to get places at the best schools, as well as rising tuition fees, are just two reasons parents in UAE are considering homeschooling now more than ever. For parents considering a new educational future for their children, or those who have been long-time converts of Dubai homeschooling movement, homeschooling in Dubai, as well as online schools in Dubai, is growing in popularity among expatriate families because of unfulfilled demand for private school places.
There are thousands of students who opt to homeschool in UAE, there is over 6,000 members in Facebook groups of the Dubai & North Emirati Homeschooling Association (DUNEHA) and pockets of families choosing a new future of education are creating their own community of interest groups for their children. In fact, the government of UAE is even providing some support to homeschooling students.
Even homeschooling teachers in Dubai are no substitute for schools. Any homeschooled student would need to first enroll as a full-time student at one of Dubai’s private schools. To participate in Rahhal, students will have to enroll at a private school in Dubai.
Yes, any private Dubai school that is regulated by the KHDA is eligible to opt for Rahhal. KHDA (Dubai) Dubai strongly encourages ex-pats choosing to homeschool to use curricula licensed and accredited in their country of origin. Students have the option of mixing learning from home and the Knowledge Hub Dubai, where they get one-on-one tuition and support. Some students who are traditionally homeschooled have chosen to attend classes at school or learning centers as part of integrating their learning.
Homeschooled children often lose the interactions with classmates they would have had in school. Homeschooled students might miss opportunities to attend school assemblies or plays, which may offer benefits like building confidence, conquering stage fright, teamwork, practice, and other critical life skills. Homeschooling parents should take extra care to give their children opportunities to form friendships as well as keep them — this comes naturally with school life — so their children are also able to attend, and experience, birthday parties, for instance. It is important that homeschooling parents make it a priority to provide opportunities for their children to make friends and to maintain friendships – both of which would have been more natural in a school environment.
Children who are homeschooled may be the best-rounded kids at the playground, simply because their parents went to great lengths to ensure they had an abundance of experiences. Parents choosing to homeschool their children homeschool helps them to avoid the heavy fees of tuition fees since it costs less than half, and even as much as 75%, of what a regular school in the Emirates charges — and that is just one of the benefits.
The student is not obligated to attend normal classes under the homeschooling system. Following registration, the student will get the necessary learning materials and books from the educational zone in the relevant emirate. Without attending normal classes, the student will conduct the independent study at home.
The student will take class exams at the end of the year or the semester as required by the Ministry of Education’s Assessment and Examinations Department and Continuous Learning Department. In the UAE, completing a homeschool programme successfully equates to graduating from any conventional public school.
Admission criteria
In accordance with the Ministry of Education’s age timetable, which it releases at the start of each academic year, pupils who are older than the maximum age limit for enrollment to public schools may use the home-schooling system.
Those in the home-schooling stream must be in grades 7 through 12. Admission to Grade 7 is allowed beginning at age 14.
All students, both genders, citizens, and residents of the UAE who meet the above qualifications are eligible to enroll in the home-schooling stream. These requirements include, among others:
- a passing certificate of the student’s last academic year. Certificates for students from outside the country must be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country of origin and the Ministry of Education in the UAE.
- a copy of the student’s passport
- a copy of the family book (for UAE nationals)
- a copy of the residence visa (for expatriates)
- a copy of the Emirates ID
- 1 photo
- certificate of equivalency for certificates issued outside the UAE
- proof of payment of applicable registration fees.
Here’s why more and more parents in UAE are turning to homeschool
The cost of traditional school education has prompted parents to look for alternatives as regular school fees have increased by thousands of dirhams, on top of the price of yearly study materials, uniforms, transportation, and more.
However, the thought of homeschooling typically evokes one of two responses: either a shudder at the thought of a sheltered, ignorant child or amusement at the very idea of it.
Although it costs half as much as or as much as 75% less than what a regular school in the emirates would charge, this is only one benefit of parents choosing to homeschool their kids. Additionally, homeschooling gives parents the freedom to concentrate on academic courses they believe are more pertinent to their child’s unique interests, skills, and future course.
The children themselves appreciate the flexibility of their schedules and frequently found the rigidness of the former school schedule to be too much.
What does the UAE law say about homeschooling?
The UAE currently has no laws forbidding the homeschooling of ex-pat children, hence it is legal. However, KHDA advises that you enroll in an authorized programme so that, in the event that your child returns to traditional brick-and-mortar schooling, you will have the documentation necessary to demonstrate that they are on par with their peers.
UAE nationals must send their children to school until they are at least 16 years old. The UAE National Curriculum is provided and homeschooling is permitted. The local education administration of the relocating emirate shall provide curriculum materials, required Arabic language studies, Islamic courses, and learning support to Emirati students who are homeschooled.
Some Things to Consider When Homeschooling in Dubai
Homeschooling is not always straightforward and can be a sensitive topic. Apart from the negative effects on education and the law, it also heavily depends on the personalities of the student, the parent, and anybody else involved.
Before choosing to homeschool in Dubai, parents should consider the following factors.
The Social Connection
More parents are most worried about the social aspect of homeschooling when it comes to it. When a child is homeschooled, they frequently miss out on interactions with their peers that they would have otherwise.
In fact, the majority of kids say that playing with their friends or going to recess with their friends is the best part of their school day, highlighting the importance of these connections.
Additionally, homeschooled students could miss out on opportunities to take part in school plays or assemblies, which can help them develop important life skills like teamwork, confidence, and the ability to overcome stage fright.
Even while this cannot be replicated at home, enrolling in a performance arts school or attending a theatre class is a fantastic alternative.
No Competition
Parents can think their child is doing well in school, but there may not be many kids to compare them to. There are children that are seated in the middle, at the bottom, and at the top of the class.
As opposed to traditional schooling, homeschooling makes it more challenging to evaluate a child’s progress in terms of their knowledge of a subject, their approach to a subject they don’t understand, and other factors.
Recognised by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)
In the UAE, homeschooling is legal and feasible using the National Curriculum. Homeschooling is not particularly simple or easy in Dubai, as was already said. Not just in the UAE, private applicants and homeschooled students frequently show up at school-leaving exams.
KHDA encourages enrolling in a recognised programme so that you will have the necessary documentation to demonstrate that your child is on the same academic level as other children if you return your child to traditional schools.
Homeschooled Emirati students must have access to curriculum materials, required Arabic language studies, Islamic courses, and learning support from the local education administration of the resident emirate.
