An increasing number of national students are preferring private schools to government schools to the extent that about 30 per cent of the students enrolled in the various private schools in the country are originally from the UAE. According to official figures, out of an estimated 290,072 private school students, around 50,000 are UAE nationals.

When your favourite No. 1 newspaper asked a cross-section of the national population for the reason for their choice, a majority of the parents responded that they want their children to acquire sound communication skills in English.

When lack of proficiency in English — both written and spoken — is pointed out as one of the reasons that hamper the career prospects of many UAE nationals, parents believe that providing their children with quality education will help them overcome the shortcoming.

Among their reasons for opting against government schools are better quality of English teaching and scope for cross-cultural interaction in private schools that will widen their horizon of thoughts and enhance their communicative skills. Mostly preferring the American or British curriculum, parents are willing to shell out a chunk of their income, even when free education is available in a government school.

Read more