A new survey has revealed that a large portion of parents would consider enrolling their children in a boarding school in Dubai.

The survey, which was carried out by YouGov, revealed that 79 per cent acknowledged that Dubai is well placed to offer boarding facilities to students.

Boarding at school is a familiar concept worldwide with families sending their children away to top boarding schools to gain a good education as well as experiencing the associated benefits of being away from home including organisation, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, empathy and responsibility.

Dubai has the convenience of being geographically very accessible, providing parents with the option of allowing children to experience world-class boarding without sending them to the more conventional boarding destinations. Dubai also has great weather, great outdoor activities for children and is considered a safe city, especially for young people, which plays a massive part in parents' decision making.

The head of Swiss International Scientific School Dubai (SISD) Beat Sommer said: "At SISD, we have evaluated carefully the needs of our parents and students. The YouGov survey has confirmed that Dubai is viewed as an ideal location for many living in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia, Kazakhstan and even here in the UAE with 79 per cent acknowledging Dubai as a good place to send children to boarding school."

Additionally, the survey showed that 52 per cent of respondents would consider boarding school enrollment in the emirate, 51 per cent think it builds confidence, leadership skills and independence of the schools, and 55 per cent agreed that it will help build future career development.

In line with the Ministry of Education's Strategy 2020, to develop a globally competitive education system, the survey only reinforces this commitment to providing students with a spectrum of opportunities to nurture tomorrow's future leaders.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com