Sharjah Private Schools Experience Significant Improvement Through Itqan Programme Evaluation

The Sharjah Private Education Authority has revealed the outcomes of the third cycle of the Itqan programme for the 2024–2025 academic year. This initiative evaluates the performance quality of private schools in Sharjah. The programme aims to enhance educational and administrative practices by assessing adherence to quality standards under the UAE’s national school evaluation framework.

Field visits were conducted in 86 schools offering 10 different curricula. These visits included classroom observations, document reviews, activity participation, and meetings with stakeholders. Surveys collected feedback from 40,838 parents, 44,810 students, and 5,698 teachers. This comprehensive approach ensures a thorough evaluation of each school's performance.

The Itqan programme's latest cycle focused on 43 schools rated "Good" in 2022–2023, 37 schools rated "Acceptable" in 2023–2024, and six new schools. Evaluations occurred in two phases: from November 4th to November 28th, 2024, covering 33 schools, and from January 20th to February 20th, 2025, covering another 53 schools.

The results showed significant improvements: five schools received a "Very Good" rating, while 53 were rated "Good," and 28 were deemed "Acceptable." No schools were classified as "Weak" or "Very Weak." This marks a notable advancement since only seven schools achieved a "Good" rating in 2018.

Ali Al-Hosani, Director-General of the Sharjah Private Education Authority, described Itqan as crucial for advancing private education in Sharjah. He stated that it not only monitors performance but also provides a structured roadmap for continuous improvement. The latest results confirm the sector’s dedication to quality and its role in fostering academic excellence.

Al-Hosani emphasised the importance of engaging parents, students, and staff through surveys. These surveys offer valuable insights into educational quality and help identify areas for improvement according to international best practices.

Complementary Initiatives

Itqan is part of broader efforts to assess school effectiveness in meeting quality standards and delivering educational outcomes that support student development across academic, personal, and social dimensions. The programme includes initiatives like a school leadership programme aimed at enhancing management skills among school leaders.

A total of 25 training sessions were held under this initiative, providing 50 hours of training and benefiting over a thousand teachers, leaders, and specialists. Additionally, the authority's professional development programme has grown significantly over recent years.

Professional Development Growth

In 2022, a professional development week included 40 sessions over 63 hours reaching around 1,600 teachers. In the following year, there were 41 sessions totalling 126 hours benefiting over two thousand teachers. By focusing on content quality and diversity in 2024 with fewer sessions but more training hours per session reached about one thousand teachers.

A self-assessment initiative also supports schools in periodically reviewing their performance to identify strengths and areas for growth. This ongoing process helps maintain high standards within Sharjah's private education sector.

The Sharjah Private Education Authority remains committed to advancing private education through Itqan by fostering excellence both academically and administratively across all participating institutions.

With inputs from WAM