Choosing a School In Sharjah – 4 Key Points To Consider

Choosing a school for your children is one of the hardest decisions you make as a parent. This is the institution where they might potentially spend the next 12 years of their academic lives, and we all know and understand the influence good schooling can have on an individual’s career

In a country like the UAE, which is home to people from 200 different nationalities, this decision becomes even more important. It also becomes much harder, owing to the fact that private schools in the country teach the curriculums from 19 different education systems around the world.

With so many options to choose from, how do you select the one that will build the foundation for your child to go on and lead a successful academic and professional career?

Here are 4 key points to consider when choosing a school in Sharjah.

Curriculum

First, you must choose between one of the many international curricula.

The more popular ones in Sharjah are:

• American

• British

• Indian

•  IB – International Baccalaureate

• Pakistani

• French

• Canadian

• German

Amongst all of these nationalities, American curriculum schools in Sharjah are by far the most popular and the most preferred by parents.

The studies at these American schools are based on the curriculum established by the United States government and education ministry. Schools follow the same structure as those in the U.S. and eventually prepare students from their SATs after grade 10. 

We highly recommend that parents research each option thoroughly before they make their decision. The choice of curriculum now will eventually determine what standard of education your child receives, and what papers they’ll be eligible to appear for at later stages.

 Fee

Next, you’ll need to think about the costs of school in Sharjah.

Since children of expats can’t take admission in the public schooling which is free for UAE locals, they must apply in one of the many private schools.

Contrary to popular belief, private schooling in the UAE isn’t as expensive as most people claim it to be. Yes, there are certain schools that charge 100,000+ AED per year in tuition alone, but then you’ll also find plenty of institutions that offer good quality education at a quarter of that price.

Remember: High school fees don’t necessarily mean that the quality of education is high as well. A lot of institutions are charging excessive fees simply because they have internationally recognized names.

In Sharjah, private school fee varies between 5,000 AED per year and 50,000 AED per year. Each institution has a different fee structure, depending mainly on the curriculum being taught and the kind of facilities available on-campus.

In most cases, your employer will subsidize a large part of the school fee on your behalf. There are also special sibling discounts at most American curriculum schools in Sharjahwherein the second sibling to gain admission in the same campus has a 20-30% tuition fee waiver.

On-campus facilities

Good-quality schools give equal amounts of emphasis to academics, sports, and social events, ensuring that students receive a complete learning experience that helps them become well-rounded individuals.

These are the schools you want to keep an eye out for during your search. For this purpose, it’s essential that you visit each school you’ve shortlisted.

School tours are a great way to get a better idea of the kind of facilities available at an institution. In particular, you should look for a few of the following things:

• Gym

• Swimming pool

• Large grounds

• Dedicated sports staff

• Canteens serving clean, healthy food

• Modern science labs

• Teaching aids in the classrooms

• Toys and snacks for kindergartners

Academic calendar

Finally, you’ll need to keep the UAE’s academic calendar in mind.

Schools in the country have two set starting dates, depending on which curriculum they follow.

American, British, and IB schools start off in Sept, with the year ending sometime around May. Pakistani and Indian schools start in April, with the year ending in December.

Admissions for both sets of schools open while the current session is in ongoing. Usually in February for the Sept session, and in August for the April session.

Here, it’s also important to note that schools in Sharjah and the rest of the UAE tend to have very long waiting lists, since the government has limited the number of children that can study in a single class at any given school.

These waiting lists can extend back to almost 2 years in certain cases, so it’s very important that you get in touch with the institution and ask them if seats are available before you apply to a specific school.