A five-year project to measure the wellbeing of all middle school students in Dubai has come one step closer to fruition with the completion of a trial involving 2,500 students from 19 schools.

The Student Wellbeing Census, run by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in partnership with the Department of Education and Child Development (DECD) in South Australia, will include 70,000 students in grades 6, 7, 8 and 9 (equivalent to Year 7, 8, 9 and 10) from every private school in Dubai when it is fully rolled out in November.

Census data will provide schools with an in-depth understanding of how students feel about their school life, home life, themselves and their relationships with others. The data will also provide insight into student attitudes towards their experiences in and out of school. This data will then enable school leaders to better design their schools' wellbeing culture, and will allow policymakers to make evidence-based changes that have positive long-term impact on the education community.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director-general of KHDA, said: "Wellbeing will soon have as much importance as academics in fulfilling the purpose of education. With this trial, we've taken another step on our journey to seeing that purpose put into practice across all schools in Dubai. We're thankful to all the schools and students who have taken part, and look forward to the increased involvement of parents in creating an education sector, the quality of which is defined not just by grades, but by happiness."

David Engelhardt, director of business intelligence at the Department for Education and Child Development (DECD) in South Australia, said: "This trial is the first step in conducting a valid and scientifically reliable census of student wellbeing, and it's been great to see how motivated and committed schools were to participate. It's a reflection of Dubai in general, and education in Dubai in particular, that the community has been so positive and supportive about having a truly holistic picture of teaching and learning in Dubai."

Census questions have been fully adapted to Dubai's education culture and will be offered in both English and Arabic. The full census of 70,000 students will begin in November, with Dubai-wide results to be released in January. Schools will also be given their own results, which they may choose to share with parents. All student responses are anonymous. Following the census, workshops will be held for school leaders and teachers to help them understand how to interpret the data and to design strategies to increase wellbeing in future years. The Student Wellbeing Census builds on the School of Hearts and Minds survey, which has been measuring student wellbeing in Dubai since 201

Source: Khaleej Times