By Amitha R
As Dubai’s KHDA pauses school inspections for 2025–26, the debate around their relevance has intensified. School leaders across the region weigh in
Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) recently announced a pause on school inspections for the academic year 2025–26. Framing it as part of an “evolving approach to support quality education,” the regulator said the break will give schools space to reflect, consolidate best practices and explore new ways of driving student learning. Dubai’s private schools have gone two consecutive years without formal inspections, following a similar pause in 2024–25.
The move has prompted schools across the GCC to question whether inspections are still vital for quality assurance, or if it is time to rethink their role in modern education.
School inspections have long been central to the UAE’s education landscape. Introduced by the KHDA in 2009, Dubai’s inspections have been widely credited with raising standards, improving international benchmarking scores and providing parents with a reliable measure of quality. In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) continues to conduct regular reviews, while the Ministry of Education runs its own inspection framework for federal schools.
Elsewhere in the GCC too, inspection frameworks remain key quality assurance tools. In Saudi Arabia, Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC) is responsible for the evaluation process, while schools also use international frameworks such as British Schools Overseas (BSO) or global accreditations to ensure they align with national ambitions while maintaining global standards. In Oman and Qatar, schools undergo external reviews, either through national regulators or respected international accreditors.
School leaders across the GCC are divided not on the value of inspections themselves, but on how they should evolve. Many leaders acknowledge that external reviews provide accountability, credibility and reassurance to parents, while also safeguarding students and staff. Others welcome KHDA’s decision as a chance to reduce the annual pressure cycle, allowing schools time to embed meaningful change without the looming deadline of inspection visits.
