Following the strategy of the State to improve the education system and enhance student potential, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge has launched the ‘Irtiqaa’ Inspection program to assess the performance of private schools in Abu Dhabi and give the recommendations needed to improve their performance. This will be accompanied by a detailed explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of each school, as well as improvement plans that will include workshops to help low achieving schools, identified by ‘Irtiqaa’, to enhance the quality of their education and reach the level required by the criteria of the program.
‘Irtiqaa’ is a comprehensive evaluation system that measures the quality of education in private schools in Abu Dhabi. This is performed by authorized inspectors who are hired and trained by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge in order to inspect and evaluate schools according to international standards and provide follow-up to ensure that they have reached the desired criteria.
To ensure the sustainability of the program and the continuous oversight of private schools in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge will activate the program through 3 main areas:
- Train UAE national educationalists to become school inspectors accredited by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.
- Perform periodic visits to inspect and monitor private schools to ensure their commitment to the program standards.
- Provide the necessary support to schools and continue to improve the quality of education.
Through ‘Irtiqaa’ program, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge seeks to:
- Measure the performance and quality of the private schools in Abu Dhabi.
- Provide recommendations for improving education quality, management skills and student levels across all schools.
- Motivate school principals and teachers to upgrade their professional performance and direct them to achieve excellence.
- Stimulate and support the development process in every school to ensure the wellbeing of students.
- Secure a safe and healthy school environment for students.
- Improve the quality and efficiency of private schools in Abu Dhabi, in line with the strategic objectives of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.
Evaluating School Performance
According to ‘Irtiqaa’, private schools are evaluated as follows:
- Inspectors shall spend approximately 4 days in each school to determine its overall effectiveness based on self-evaluation as well as performance standards identified in the inspection program.
- Inspection reports, clarifying both the strengths and areas for improvement, are sent out to schools after the evaluation process is completed to help it develop effective plans for improvement.
- The evaluation process includes briefing parents objectively about the performance level of each school in order to enable them to make informed decisions concerning their children's education.
- The school evaluation program helps determine the effectiveness of the education system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The information provided enables the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge to develop evidence-based policies and programs designed to further support and improve the quality and effectiveness of the system as a whole.
- In addition to the periodic evaluation carried out by inspectors from the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge, schools are also assessed by international experts once every two years. This evaluation is based on five basic criteria as shown below:
- Quality of students’ achievement.
- Quality of personal and social development as well as innovation skills of the students.
- Quality of teaching and assessment.
- Quality of curriculum.
- Quality of student safety and wellbeing, as well as the guidance and support provided to them.
- Quality of school leadership and management.
- International evaluators use a scale comprising six quality levels, as shown in the table below:
| Outstanding | Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE |
| Very Good | Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE |
| Good |
Quality of performance meets the expectation of the UAE (This is the expected level for every school in the UAE) |
| Acceptable | Quality of performance meets the minimum level of quality required in the UAE (This is the minimum level for every school in the UAE) |
| Weak | Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE |
| Very Weak | Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE |
In line with the Department of Education and Knowledge’s efforts to boost competitiveness among private schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Irtiqaa inspection reports are published for the public. To view an inspection report of any private school, visit the school finder tool available within the ‘Get Education’ journey on TAMM. Once you load the page, simply search for the school you are looking for and view its details, including the government inspection report.