SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT - UAE Interact

228 U N I T E D A R A B E M I R AT E S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 0 8EDUCATIONEducation at primary andsecondary level takes placein a four-tier processspanning 14 years.The newsecondary-levelschool curriculum isdesigned to booststudents’ selfconfidence andprepare themadequately to attendhigher educationinstitutes.Educational opportunities in the UAE have blossomed since theestablishment of the federation when only a tiny minority of theurban population had access to formal education. Today, theUAE offers a comprehensive education to all male and femalestudents from kindergarten to university, with education for thecountry's citizens being provided free at all levels. There is alsoan extensive private education sector, while several thousandstudents of both sexes pursue courses of higher education abroadat Government expense.Although great strides have been made since the educationalsystem was first formalised, a major overhaul of the system tomeet the needs of the twenty-first century is a cornerstone ofUAE Government strategy, with a particular emphasis on thedecentralisation of administration to educational zones. SheikhKhalifa also issued a federal decree in September 2007 authorisingthe Cabinet to reorganise the private education system, replacingthe private education law of 1999 and bringing the privatesector in line with public education. Individual emirates are alsoreforming their educational systems within the context of thefederal framework.PRE-UNIVERSITY EDUCATIONEducation at primary and secondary level is universal andcompulsory up to ninth grade. This takes place in a four-tierprocess over 14 years: 4 to 5 year-olds attend kindergarten, 6 to11 year-olds attend primary schools, the preparatory stage catersfor children aged between 12 to 14 years, and 15 to 17 year-oldsattend secondary schools.Over 40 per cent of pupils attend private schools. Some of theseoffer foreign language education geared towards expatriatecommunities, usually preserving the culture and following thecurriculum of the students’ countries of origin.The major direction for federal public policy within the preuniversitysector is to improve student and school performancelevels in line with the expectations of society and international