July
6,
2010
On July 6, DSG hosted a taskforce meeting to examine issues surrounding Emirati students dropping out of school in Dubai. The meeting built on the observations provided at a consultation with all Dubai government high school principals held earlier at DSG.
Focusing on how to detect and prevent Emirati youth from dropping out of school, the taskforce comprises representatives from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the Dubai School of Government, the UAE Ministry of Education, the UAE Ministry of Social Affairs, the Community Development Authority and the Dubai Police.
KHDA representatives presented data, reports and findings into the causes and effects of early school leaving among a significant proportion of Emiratis. Recent data, which shows that 22% of male and 14% of female Emiratis in Dubai aged 20 to 24 had dropped out of school prior to completion, was also shared with the taskforce.
The taskforce recommended that a focus group be established to research in more depth the reasons why many male students leave school in Grade 10, where the highest incidence of dropping out occurs, as well as exploring additional factors that may result in early school leaving, such as the background of families and the particular issues students face.
Other ministries, governmental authorities and departments will be invited to participate in future taskforce meetings to ensure that a holistic view of the current situation is obtained. Research into the dropout rates in other countries will also be reviewed, and their experiences and recommendations will be added to the findings of the focus group.
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