Making high-quality education more affordable in Sharjah remains high on the agenda, as the emirate is home to a number of well-established schools with strong academic records.
This crucial issue will take centre-stage at the upcoming fourth edition of the Sharjah International Summit on Education Improvement, set to take place on 23-24 February, 2025.
Traditionally, schools in Sharjah tend to have lower tuition fees than those in Dubai, especially for British, IB, and American curricula, where the school of the same curriculum in Dubai might cost 30 to 50 per cent more than in Sharjah.
Unlike Dubai, Sharjah has fewer “premium” schools with ultra-modern facilities, which keeps tuition more reasonable.
During a press conference to announce the upcoming summit, it was revealed that experts and policymakers will also discuss global best practices, innovative education models, and strategies to balance cost-effectiveness with excellence.
“We try to bring in ideas of how education is being innovated elsewhere in the world. Part of the summit will be about how different countries were successful in bringing down the cost but are not compromising on the quality of education,” Wajdi Manai, Chair of the Scientific Committee, Senior Advisor for Innovation and Advancement in Education, Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) said.
He added, “There will be engagement around how can we benefit from that experience, to think about how our education is handled here, and what they can gain from our insights about education. We need more of an understanding about the different models, how they work, and why they work.”
Experts highlighted one of the major takeaways from the summit will be the idea that reducing educational expenses should not come at the cost of quality.
Instead, leveraging innovative solutions such as technology-driven learning, public-private partnerships, and streamlined operational efficiencies can help maintain excellence while easing financial burdens on students and parents, they added.
“One of the directions of the new strategy will be to attract investment and to maintain the best education for all. Accordingly, we are willing to launch, within our new strategy, bundles for investment where we are trying to enable investors to start their education journeys, programmes and initiatives within Sharjah, with support from the government,” Dr Ahmed Shaban, Strategy and Excellence Expert at SPEA, said.
The summit brings educators, policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders together to explore and address pressing challenges and opportunities in the K-12 and early childhood education sectors.
The summit will feature more than 35 panel discussions and 140 workshops, with the participation of more than 190 education specialists from over 30 countries worldwide. The sessions and workshops will focus on various topics derived from the summit’s key tracks, including innovative teaching and learning practices, envisioning the future of education, equity and inclusion in schools, and future-proof and sustainable education.
Meanwhile, Sharjah is also set to enhance its support for Students of Determination with the establishment of a new centre dedicated to special education needs.
On the sidelines of the press conference to announce the summit, education experts stressed that this initiative aims to provide comprehensive services tailored to the unique requirements of these students, ensuring they receive quality education and support.
“At the summit, we will unveil an initiative linked to a study conducted by the University of Exeter in the UK, in collaboration with SPEA and our partners. This includes the launch of the Special Education Needs Excellence Centre, which will serve not only our local community but also expatriates and others from the region. Additionally, we will introduce a foundational course on inclusive education, which will be available to teachers not just in Sharjah, but globally,” Ziad Shatat, Director of Continuous Improvement Department, SPEA said.
©Khaleej Times
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