Performance of Indian Schools in Dubai 2014-2015 Inspection Finding Key Findings Report - Dubai Private Schools | Page 28

7 years on... Inspecting for school improvement: A collaborative journey Arabic as a first language Research has shown the benefits of bilingualism on students’ intellectual, social and educational development. It points out that students who learn English and continue to develop their native language tend to have higher academic achievement in later years than do students who learn English at the expense of their first language. It is therefore crucial that Emirati and Arab students receive good quality provision of Arabic as a first language, not only to preserve their identity, self-esteem, heritage and culture but also to allow them to develop intellectually and academically. All Dubai private schools with Emirati and Arab students now offer Arabic as a first language to their students. There has been a significant improvement in schools’ compliance with the Ministry of Education requirements regarding the amount of time and resources that should be allocated to Arabic as a first language. The quality of provision, however, remains a great concern. Attainment Apart from a drop in unsatisfactory judgements, there has not been any significant improvement in students’ attainment in Arabic as a first language since the first cycle of inspections. Students’ listening and responding skills remain stronger than their ability to handle unfamiliar reading texts and to write at length. The latter two skills remain key areas for improvement in most schools. 2008-2009 2014-2015 54% 59% 17% 27% 32% 9% Unsatisfactory 2% 0% Acceptable Good Outstanding Progress The progress that students make in learning Arabic as a first language remains alarmingly low. This is mainly due to issues around the quality of teaching, assessment, and curriculum design and modification. 54% 27% 24% 17% 15% Unsatisfactory 16 2008-2009 2014-2015 60% 2% 1% Acceptable Good Outstanding