The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 evaluates what students know and can do in science, reading, mathematics and computational problem-solving, assessing how effectively they can apply their knowledge to real-world challenges. The assessment also explores a range of broader competencies, attitudes and behaviours, including curiosity, perseverance and the use of artificial intelligence. PISA results provide valuable insights into the quality and equity of learning outcomes around the world, enabling educators and policymakers to learn from each other’s policies and practices. This country note provides a country-specific overview of the United Arab Emirates.

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the world’s largest survey of teachers and principals. In 2024, educators from 55 education systems provided information about what they do and how they are doing. They explain if and how they use artificial intelligence, why they became teachers and if they wish to continue teaching. Governments use data from TALIS to make policies that improve teaching and learning conditions in their schools.

The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) examines what students know in reading, mathematics and science, and what they can do with what they know. It provides the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student learning outcomes to date. Results from PISA indicate the quality and equity of learning outcomes attained around the world, and allow educators and policy makers to learn from the policies and practices applied in other countries. This country note provides a country-specific overview of the United Arab Emirates.

In recent years, the Emirate of Dubai has been placing a stronger emphasis on people's well being with the aim of making Dubai "an inclusive and cohesive society (...) that is the preferred place to live, work and visit and a pivotal hub in the global economy". Within the education sector, KHDA and private schools have introduced a number of initiatives to help raise awareness, measure and support students' and staff’s well being. This report analyses the well being policies and practices that KHDA and schools have implemented in Dubai's private school sector. In order to fulfil this objective, the OECD has taken a holistic picture view of well being in education, which is discussed in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 looks at Dubai's private schools as a whole, focusing on the school leadership and other key school staff. Chapter 4 focuses on teachers and their well being, an issue that has been relatively overlooked until recently. Finally, Chapter 5 discusses student well being and empowerment.

This report was commissioned by the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi as part of the OECD's input to Qudwa 2019. Its objective is to provide teachers in the UAE with practical guidance in areas identified as being relevant for them to help improve their practice. Such areas were identified through, the analysis of UAE data from the OECD's Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) in 2018 and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and taking into consideration the unique context of the UAE's education system.

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the first international large-scale survey that provides a voice to teachers and school principals, who complete questionnaires about issues such as the professional development they have received; their teaching beliefs and practices; the assessment of their work and the feedback and recognition they receive; and various other school leadership, management and workplace issues. This note presents findings based on the reports of lower secondary teachers and their school leaders in mainstream public and private schools in the United Arab Emirates.

The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) is the first international large-scale survey that provides a voice to teachers and school principals, who complete questionnaires about issues such as the professional development they have received; their teaching beliefs and practices; the assessment of their work and the feedback and recognition they receive; and various other school leadership, management and workplace issues. This note presents findings based on the reports of lower secondary teachers and their school leaders in mainstream public and private schools in the United Arab Emirates.