Education Quality in the UAE - Factors in Creating a Knowledge-Based Economy

Although a variety numerous approaches have been adopted to measure and manage quality within education institutions, little consensus exists on the best way to approach this. Thus, this paper presented an analytic review of current education provision in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The review identified a reliance on quality management models that are applied with only partial success and suggested ways to enhance the quality of teaching and learning within education. Throughout the UAE education has become a top priority as it attempts, through various reform projects, to develop a world-class system which puts students first. This review paper looked beyond the quantity of education provision in the UAE and focused on how the quality of education could be improved. It first provided the context for this discussion, followed by a review of situational and operational actors, paying particular attention to the results of international standardised assessments. The missing link between the education system and the labour market was considered, with a number of recommendations offered that could help policymakers improve the quality of education in the UAE in order to create a truly knowledge-based economy.