DUBAI - Dubai’s private schools continue to shine in international rankings, placing second in financial literacy and sixth in creative thinking, according to a study conducted as part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Held every three years, PISA evaluates 15-year-old students’ abilities to apply real-life skills in reading, mathematics, and science to practical situations. Dubai participated in the additional financial literacy and creative thinking domains for the first time in 2022.

According to OECD, financial literacy measures how well students know and understand financial concepts and risks, and their skills, motivation, and confidence to make good decisions in different financial situations.

Creative thinking measures students’ ability to come up with, evaluate, and improve ideas that can result in original and effective solutions, advances in knowledge, and impactful expressions of creativity.

Dubai private schools ranked second out of 20 participating countries and regions for financial literacy, scoring 522 points, compared to the OECD global average of 498 points.

Eighty-two per cent of the 4,478 participating students from Dubai said they know how to manage their money, and 79 percent said they had savings goals for things they want to buy or do.

Dubai private schools also ranked sixth out of 64 participating countries and regions for creative thinking, scoring 36 points compared to the OECD average of 33 points.

Eighty-four per cent of 7,474 participating students from Dubai private schools performed at the OECD baseline level or above in creative thinking skills. Seventy-four per cent of students indicated in their responses that they are confident of coming up with creative ideas for school projects.

Premier education destination

Commenting on the results, Aisha Miran, Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority said, “We are immensely proud of our students and schools’ performance in these international assessments, which underscore Dubai’s reputation as a premier destination for high quality education that equips students with future skills for a rapidly changing world.

“We are grateful to all the school leaders who play an important role in motivating and inspiring teachers and students to improve their performance, to teachers who encourage students to develop their abilities and discover their potential, to parents who support and encourage their children to achieve their goals, and to students whose hard work and resilience brought about this remarkable result.

“These results reaffirm Dubai’s position as a leader in education, aligning with the leadership’s vision and goals of D33 and Dubai Social Agenda 33, and reflects our commitment to fostering an environment where students can thrive and contribute meaningfully to the development of our society.”

Fatma Belrehif, CEO of the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, added, “This study provides comprehensive data on the financial and creative thinking skills of our students, providing school leaders and educational policymakers with detailed insights to build plans and policies that equip students with future skills. The results of the study show that schools that excel in creative thinking also achieve high scores in mathematics, reading, and science. This highlights the importance of developing our students’ capabilities across all fields to prepare them for the future. We appreciate the vital role of school leaders, teachers and parents in enhancing our students’ abilities and their positive contributions to the overall development of various sectors.”

According to the PISA 2022 results announced in December 2023, Dubai private schools ranked ninth globally in mathematics with a mean score of 497, exceeding the OECD average by 25 points. Dubai schools also ranked 13th globally in reading with a mean score of 498, and 14th in science, with a mean score of 503 points.