As an expat, the school selection and application processes
in the UAE can seem fairly daunting at first. There’s a ton of options to
choose from, and it’s very common to see the parents rush into an ill-advised
decision which they later end up regretting.
To make sure you don’t follow in their footsteps and ruin
your child’s academic and professional career, this article has been designed
to guide you through the school selection process in Sharjah and to educate you
on the steps you’ll need to get to get your child enrolled.
Let’s begin.
While this article is
written for parents in Sharjah, the general process and considerations will
stay the same in all 7 emirates of the UAE.
The first and important step in the process is to choose an
academic curriculum.
Public schools aren’t available for expats in the UAE, so
parents must select between one of the many private institutions which are
teaching the curricula from a wide variety of countries.
The major choices are:
- American
- British
- Indian
- International Baccalaureate
- Australian
- Pakistani
It’s almost impossible to stress how important this decision
will be for your child’s future. The curriculum, to a great extent, determines
the standard of education students receive, the international examinations they
give, and the quality of universities they’ll be eligible to apply for once
they graduate.
Here, we recommend checking out the more well-established British
and American schools in Sharjah. The
UK and US education systems are the most popular in the world, and both
curricula have been structured to give your child the best chance for academic
and professional success.
Pro Tip:
No matter which curriculum you decide to go for, make
sure you research the course content thoroughly before making jumping into a
decision. You might not get the chance to shift schools later if you change
your mind.
The next step is to decide how many schools you’ll be applying
to. This decision will depend upon your child’s age group and the curriculum
chosen earlier.
As a thumb rule, it’s generally advised that you apply to as
many institutions as financially possible if your child is under the age of 10.
British and American schools
in Sharjah
and the rest of the UAE have waiting lists that can extend to
over 5 years long, and your first choice school might not have availability
when your child comes of age.
Applying everywhere ensures that you won’t have to waste
another year in the process in case admission wasn’t granted this time around.
For older age groups, applying to 3 high-quality
institutions should be sufficient.
Aside from the curriculum, you’ll need to consider the
following factors:
- Fee structure
- Distance from home
- Travel Times
- Size
- Reputation
- Academic Record
- Qualifications of teaching staff
- Campus facilities
- Extracurricular activities
Organize your priorities on a piece of paper and start going
through the pros and cons of each shortlisted school with regards to the list
above. You’ll eventually find 2-3 institutions that stand out from the crowd.
School visits are essential during the selection process. Until
you go visit the shortlisted institutions personally and see their campus for
yourself, you won’t know if they’re actually offering the standard of education
and facilities they’ve advertised on their website.
A school that looks great online might have a completely
different vibe in-person. Make sure you tour the campus extensively and, in
particular, pay close attention to the teaching staff and their interaction
with students during classes.
While all schools in the UAE are bound to the same academic calendar
as provided by the Ministry of Education, application deadlines can vary
between different institutions. In most cases, you’ll find this information on
the school’s website.
Keep in mind that for children under the ages of 10, you
might need to fill out applications 2-3 years in advance because of the
aforementioned waiting lists.
There’s also a lot of documentation that needs to be sorted
out before submitting the application. Make sure you start the process as early
as possible.
Most schools in the UAE generally
require the same list of documents for admission:
- The completed application
form
- A copy of the
parent/guardian’s passport
- Transfer letter
signed by the principal at the child’s previous school
- The child’s birth
certificate
- Immunization and
medical records
- 10 passport-sized
pictures
- Proof of payment
for the application fee
Some institutions will also ask for
further documents like the child’s previous report cards, behavior reports,
etc., so make sure you check with the school’s administration before submitting
the application form.
It’s extremely rare that a child doesn’t gain admission in
any school they’ve applied to, but there are a few special cases.
If this unfortunate incident happens, you can always look
into institutions teaching other curricula, homeschooling, or online courses.
