Dubai’s private schools have achieved high rankings internationally, placing second in financial literacy and sixth in creative thinking, as indicated by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Conducted triennially, PISA assesses 15-year-old students’ abilities to apply practical skills in reading, mathematics, and science.
In 2022, Dubai participated in PISA’s financial literacy and creative thinking domains for the first time.
Financial literacy, according to the OECD, measures students’ understanding of financial concepts, risks, and their ability to make informed decisions in various financial scenarios.
Creative thinking assesses students’ capacity to generate, evaluate, and refine ideas that lead to innovative solutions and expressions of creativity.
Dubai’s private schools ranked second among 20 participating countries for financial literacy, scoring 522 points compared to the OECD global average of 498 points. 82% of participating students in Dubai expressed confidence in managing money, with 79% setting savings goals.
For creative thinking, Dubai ranked sixth out of 64 countries, scoring 36 points against the OECD average of 33 points. 84% of Dubai’s students performed at or above the OECD baseline level in creative thinking, with 74% feeling confident in generating creative ideas for school projects.
Aisha Miran, Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, praised the students and schools for their outstanding performance, reinforcing Dubai’s reputation as a top destination for high-quality education that prepares students for a rapidly evolving world.
Fatma Belrehif, CEO of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, highlighted the importance of these results in shaping educational policies to enhance students’ future skills across various disciplines.
The PISA 2022 results also showed Dubai’s private schools ranking highly globally in mathematics, reading, and science, further underlining their educational excellence.
