- Dubai College
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Dubai College
كلية دبي
Dubai College Emblem Location Al Sufouh
Dubai, United Arab EmiratesCoordinates 25°06′37″N 55°10′08″E / 25.1103°N 55.1689°E Information School type Independent school Established 1978 Founder Tim Charlton Status Open Authority KHDA Headmasters 2010-Present
Mr. Peter Hill
2008-2010
Dr. Carlo Ferrario1989-2008
Mr. Eric PartonOther
Mr. Harry Deelman
Mr. Tom Jackson
Mr. Tim CharltonYears Offered 7-13 Gender Both Education system British National Curriculum Language English Campus Urban Houses - Barbarossa
- Chichester
- Cousteau
- Heyerdahl
Colour(s) White and Navy Blue Sports Rival Newspaper The Red Brick Yearbook Shamal School fees AED 60,000 - 68,000 Feeder schools Dubai English Speaking School, Jebel Ali Primary School, Jumeirah English Speaking School Alumni http://www.dubaicollege.org/pages/alumni.php Website http://www.dubaicollege.org/ 
View of Dubai College from parking area. Dubai College is a British system independent school in the Al Sufouh area of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, established in 1978. It is a secondary school for 11-16 year olds with a sixth form for 16-18 year old. Students prepare for the British GCSE and A level examinations. It is a non-profit organisation, and is administered by a board of governors,who control all matters of academic and financial policy. The Good Schools Guide International reviewed the school as "Well established with good reputation locally."[1]
Contents
KHDA Inspection Report
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is an educational quality assurance authority based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It undertakes early learning, school and higher learning institution management and rates them as well.
A summary of the inspection ratings for Dubai College.[2]
School Name 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 Curriculum Dubai College Outstanding Good Good UK A summary of all the schools in Dubai's ratings can be found at KHDA School Ratings.
History
Dubai College was founded in 1978 under an Amiri decree issued by the late Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum.[3][4]
Before the school moved to its current location, it was housed in two small villas near Safa Park. Dubai College started its first year with five teachers and twenty two pupils.[5]
The Board of Governors set up a debenture system and arranged bank loans to fund a permanent building for the school. The contracted architectural firm was Brewer, Smith and Brewer. In 1979, the first school building, now dubbed A Block, was constructed near the Chicago Beach Hotel.[5]
Academics
Regarded as one of the best schools in Dubai, and amongst the top recognised British curriculum schools in the world, Dubai College has consistently produced strong academic results, with students scoring exceptionally well in both GCSE and GCE Advanced Level examinations.
In 2009, Dubai College students received a 100% pass rate in the British Curriculum Advanced (GCE) level examinations. 99 candidates sat for 300 subject examinations with 70% achieving an A grade pass, in comparison to the UK average of 26.7%.[6][7] 90% of students from Dubai College in 2009 gained admission to their first choice university, which included Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, and Cornell.[6][7]
Enrolment
With a predominant reputation in the United Arab Emirates, Dubai College is a popular choice. It receives about 450 applicants a year for only 120 spaces. It has approximately 700 students and more than 70 members of staff.
Campus
Sports field of Dubai College, showing rugby posts and cricket pitch in distance.
The campus of Dubai College offers many facilities such as a large sports field with rugby pitches, football pitches, a cricket pitch and cricket nets as well as astroturf tennis courts and netball courts. There are also 3 Design and Technology workshops, a Music Centre with a recording studio, and a specialised Art department. The school has 5 computer suites, with internet access.
A new 950-seat auditorium began construction in 2007, and was opened in 2009. A Wi-Fi network was implemented into the Sixth Form centre in 2010.
Extracurricular activities
Significant extracurricular activities participated in by Dubai College include the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, the Young Enterprise scheme, and F1 in Schools.
Athletics
Rugby
Dubai College annually hosts the Dubai College Rugby 7's, and the Dubai College Rugby 10's tournaments. School teams from all over the United Arab Emirates and from the Persian Gulf are invited, and all the proceeds go to charity. Regular participants include the English College, Doha College, and Jumeirah College.
Dubai College also participates in the Gulf Under 18 Men section of the Dubai Sevens, and in an annual tour of Hong Kong preceding the Hong Kong Sevens.
F1 in Schools
In 2010 Dubai College participated in the F1 in Schools competition. Out of four Dubai College representative teams, Team Impulse won the UAE National Finals, and went on to represent the United Arab Emirates in the International Finals in Singapore. They won the Outstanding sportsmanship award. In the 2011 F1 in Schools UAE National Championships, two teams from Dubai College were entered, Team RedShift and Revolution Racing. Revolution Racing came 2nd overall, which means they will collaborate with a Malaysian team and compete in the world finals. Team RedShift won the Best Verbal Presentation award, as well as being named the 2011 F1 in Schools UAE National Champions. They will now represent Dubai College, as well as the UAE at the world finals due to be held in Malaysia in September.
Golf
Students from Dubai College annually create a workforce of over 100 people to perform scoring duties at the Dubai Desert Classic. They have also been scorers at the Dubai World Championship, the flagship event of the Race to Dubai.
Controversies
Resignation of the headmaster
In 2009, schools in Dubai were subject to inspection by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), who separated schools into one of four categories; Outstanding, Good, Acceptable and Unsatisfactory. The assessments sparked significant controversy, partly because of the decision to link tuition increases to the results of the inspections.[8] Outstanding schools were allowed fee increases by 15%, Good schools by 12%, Acceptable schools by 10%, and Unsatisfactory schools by 7%, diverging from the previous uniform allowance of an 8% increase each year.[8]
The then headmaster of Dubai College, Dr. Carlo Ferrario, subsequently announced his resignation, citing government interference in the school’s operations as the chief reason.[8]
In a letter sent to parents of students, Ferrario was critical of the school inspections launched in the previous year, and said he would depart at the end of the academic year because of significant changes in the “educational landscape”.[8][9] “Over the past two years this has changed markedly, with the level of intervention from external agencies ... reaching levels that, in my view, compromise [the school’s] independence,” Ferrario said in the letter. “While school inspection is important and I applaud it, I believe the system of inspection that has been adopted in Dubai presents more disadvantages than benefits for schools like Dubai College,” he said. “It is not a regime with which I feel able to work.”[8][9]
Dubai College was given a result of Good, the second highest rating, in both the 2009 and 2010 inspections.[8][9]
Ralph Tabberer, the chief of schools at Global Education Management Systems, said of Ferrario; “Carlo Ferrario is an outstanding educator, so we need to take notice of his comments on inspections. They are supposed to drive out the weak, not the strong”.[8] The owner of GEMS, Sunny Varkey, has also been critical of the inspections.[8]
Gallery
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Dubai College signpost.
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Dubai College auditorium, built in 2009.
References
- ^ http://www.gsgi.cogapp.com/countries/united-arab-emirates/dubai/dubai-schools-considered-by-expats
- ^ http://www.khda.gov.ae/DISB/SchoolInspectionReportRD.aspx?EN=1&SID=192&FP=8263&INID=966
- ^ English-schools.org: Dubai College, retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ Dubaiphotomedia: Dubai College, retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ a b Dubai College: History, retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ a b Zawya: Dubai College GCE 100% Pass, retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ a b Gulf News: Dubai College GCE 100% Pass, retrieved September 24, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f g h The National: Dubai College headmaster resigns, Retrieved September 23, 2010.
- ^ a b c dubaifaqs: headmaster reisgnation, Retrieved September 23, 2010.
External links
- Dubai College - school website
- The Red Brick - student and alumni website
- Schools in Dubai - comprehensive list of private schools in Dubai and the UAE
Categories:- Educational institutions established in 1978
- Schools in Dubai
- International schools in the United Arab Emirates
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