Pakistan Education Academy

Established in 1968, Pakistan Education Academy (PEA) is one of the oldest Pakistani schools in the UAE. This private school was founded to meet the needs of Pakistani expatriates in Dubai. It has become a vital part of Dubai’s academic sphere with students from different nationalities. The school’s culture and ethos amalgamate the Pakistani and Emirati cultures.

It is a primary and secondary school catering to students aged 3 to 18. The syllabus is based on the National Curriculum of Pakistan. It follows the guidelines set by the Ministry of Education in Dubai for Arabic and Islamic Education. PEA concentrates all its efforts to meet the objectives of the UAE National Agenda. The school shifted to its current campus in 1988.

In 2020, Pakistan Education Academy became the first Pakistan school in the UAE to attain Cambridge International Status. It follows the co-education model until Grade 2. The girls and boys study separately from Grade 3 onwards. Facilities at PEA are satisfactory and support the enrichment programme aimed at students’ overall development.

This guide elucidates the facilities available at Pakistan Education Academy.

PEA is located in Umm Hurair 2, a populous residential community in Bur Dubai. Bur Dubai is home to many historical sites and affordable residential spaces. Such an ideal location allow easy access from the following communities:

• Al Karama
• Deira
• Dubai Culture Village

Al Karama is the nearest residential area with exceptional entertainment and residential opportunities. Those looking for affordable living will find it an ideal place to live. Most residential options are apartments with access to incredible amenities.

• Apartments for rent for Pakistan Education Academy

The campus is set on an expansive piece of land and has separate buildings for boys and girls. It initially had only one academic block. Academic block for girls was constructed in 2010, and PEA gained the status of a single-shift school. The main highlights of the campus are:

ICT integrated classrooms

Classrooms are spacious and bright. They have various multimedia facilities, including a multimedia projector and a computer. All the computers within the campus are linked with Microsoft servers. Students also have access to high-speed broadband and wireless internet.

School library

Pakistan Education Academy has a library equipped with various learning and teaching resources. It is equipped with proper seating and lighting arrangements to assist readers. It acts as a central hub for all the material used within the school. Besides books, students and teachers have access to local and international databases.

Multi-purpose Grand Auditorium

A distinct feature of this school is its multi-purpose auditorium with a seating capacity of 600 spectators. A dedicated team of trained teachers and an on-site auditorium manager work hard to offer the best experience. The high-end lighting and sound systems further elevate the experience. It is extensively used for the following purposes:

• Gymnasium
• Examination hall
• Morning assemblies
• Extra-curricular activities

Computer laboratory

There are separate computer laboratories for girl and boy wings. These labs are the chief source of meeting the SSC and HSSC curricula requirements. All computers are connected to the main server to access information. A dedicated IT staff handles all the technical education at school.

Medical Centre

A private office-style medical clinic is available where nurses provide health care to teachers and children. It has all the equipment to deal with minor to moderate injuries and illnesses. The medical centre also provides prescribed medicines, including chronic health conditions.

Art Rooms

Two art rooms are available to support creative and performing arts education. These purpose-built studios have sufficient working space to explore hidden talent. Students also have access to arts-related material, such as drawing boards, scrapbooks, canvas, oil and water paints, wire and yarn.

Home Economics laboratory

Another striking feature is the availability of the Home Economics Laboratory. It is the only Pakistani school in Dubai with a home economics laboratory. Girls at the HSSC level often visit the home economic lab to learn culinary, domestic and housekeeping skills. The available equipment also supports textile designing and stitching courses.

Playgrounds

Pakistan Education Academy has limited sports facilities on campus. A kindergarten playground has running, hopping, and climbing equipment to promote healthy physical activities. There is also an outdoor play zone for older students where students perform various exercises under the supervision of professional trainers.

Other facilities

Other facilities include a spacious mosque, school canteen and parking space for school buses.

It sits next to the Rashid Hospital and Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Umm Hurair 2. Those looking to visit it can access it through Oud Metha Road. Umm Hurair 2 is one of the densely populated residential communities of Bur Dubai. Bur Dubai is one of the oldest residential hubs in Dubai that has access to restaurants, supermarkets, malls and schools.

PEA’s historical significance has made it a popular choice among Pakistani expatriates. Established in 1968, it is one of the oldest Pakistani schools in Dubai. The staff plays a crucial role in providing a satisfactory school experience and quality education. Students at PEA are physically fit, intellectually bright and conscientiously aware. Since 2011, it has shown improvements in human and material resources. Integration of ICT has contributed to improving the quality of education. In 2020, the school became the first Pakistani school to attain Cambridge International Status. ICT has also enabled PEA to deliver lectures effectively.

The school follows a highly inclusive admission policy. It grants admission to:

• Students with determination
• Gifted and talented students
• Socio-cultural or economically disadvantaged children
• Children with language barriers

This policy has resulted in the formation of a diverse school community.

Extra-curricular activities are an essential part of the lives of PEA’s students. They have developed an extra-curricular programme for each age group. These activities help to expand learning beyond the walls of the classroom. Extra-curricular activities play a crucial role in the development of children.

It fosters leadership and management skills through the student council. Each year, students in senior grades have the opportunity to become head boy, head girl, deputies and secretaries. It also follows a house-based system and selects captains and vice-captains for four houses. The house-based school system allows students to take part in various friendly competitions.

It educates children from Kindergarten to Grade 12, featuring children aged 3 to 18. The education system is split into the following segments:

The educational programme followed at PEA is based on the National Curriculum of Pakistan. It also obeys the guidelines of the local Ministry of Education for Arabic and Islamic Education. The specifics of the syllabus for each phase of education are as follows:

Curriculum for Kindergarten Stage

The school adopts the Early Child Education (ECE) framework to support young learners’ education. It is supported by the National Curriculum of Pakistan and helps in providing quality education to children. The broad syllabus challenges students to build skills necessary for the subsequent stage. Teachers also adopt strategies and learning methodologies that foster critical thinking and creativity. It also focuses on building a relationship with teachers, staff and parents for effective learning. Consequently, it results in self-confident, tolerant and intelligent students ready to face formal education. The curriculum for the Kindergarten stage targets the following six learning areas:

• Creative development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Mathematical development
• Physical development
• Knowledge and understanding of the world
• Communication, literacy and language
• Knowledge and understanding of the world

Subjects, such as Arabic and Islamic education, are introduced from this stage.

Curriculum for Primary Stage

The education programme for the primary stage involves introducing students to formal education. The curriculum ensures a smooth transition from kindergarten to the primary phase. It aims to cultivate self-confidence and a sense of achievement among primary wing students. It has also developed a specialised learning programme for Pushto and Urdu speaking students.

The primary stage syllabus has a mixture of academic and non-academic activities, fostering students’ diverse skills. Specialist teachers deliver lectures in the following subjects:

Curriculum for Secondary and Higher Secondary Stages

It follows the same curriculum for secondary and higher secondary education. The syllabus is based on the requirements laid by the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE). The syllabus focuses on gradually increasing difficulty for subjects in each grade. It prepares students for SSC examinations in Grade 10 and HSSC examinations in Grade 12.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a governmental body that regulates the education sector in Dubai. KHDA aims to improve the quality of education by private institutes in Dubai. For this purpose, it annually inspects and rates the performance of schools based on a six-point scale.

KHDA last inspected Pakistan Education Academy for the academic year 2019-2020. It was rated weak in its last inspection and before this one. Before that, the school maintained an acceptable rating for six consecutive years. Here is a brief overview of the KHDA rating for PEA in the last ten years:

Here are some positives indicated by KHDA in the latest report:

• The school has identified the strengths and developmental needs and developed a strategic improvement plan.
• Students have a considerable understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture.
• Students have considerable understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture.
• Students have made improved progress made by middle and high school students in Arabic.

KHDA also highlighted the following recommendations for improved performance in upcoming inspections:

• The school’s leadership should urgently work with management to address health and safety issues They should also review the health and safety policy and apply the best procedures that align with current best practices.
• The governors must grant funds to the principal to implement the first year of the strategic improvement plan. The plan should focus on leadership, quality of teaching and resources for better learning.
• The school must focus on improving students outcomes. The management can achieve this by introducing clear, relevant, well-attained and attainable action plans.
• Leaders and teachers should support the principal in improving assessment procedures. Information obtained from assessment should modify curriculum, lesson plan and teaching strategies.
• Mathematics teachers should improve the progress made by students in middle and high schools.

The academic year at Pakistan Education Academy starts in April and ends in March. There are 183 school days in the academic year 2021-2022. Here are a few critical dates in this year’s calendar:

• The school starts in the second week of April. Students go on a two-week-long summer break that begins in the second week of July and ends in the fourth week of August.
• Classes resume in the last week of August and continue till the second week of December. It is followed by a three-week winter break that ends in the last week of December.
• Classes resume again in the first week of January and continue till the end of the academic year in mid of March.

Besides those mentioned above, the school remain closed on many religious, national and international events. The exact dates of these events are subjected to the government’s announcement and moon sightings.

 Pakistan Education Academy has an inclusive admission policy that accepts students from all backgrounds. In addition, the school meets the special educational needs of SEND students. The application process is straightforward. To apply, fill out the admission form. The application form is available online and is also available at the admission office.

Once the form is submitted, the school will review the application. The admission team will reach out to you via provided contact detail. The school encourages parents to fill out the form with correct information.

The documents required for the admission process include:

• Birth certificate of the candidate
• A copy of the child’s passport
• Original Emirates ID of students and parents (required for scanning)
• Passport-size photographs
• School leaving or transfer certificate

Those coming from outside the UAE must get their transfer certificate attested by the following:

• Ministry of Education of that country
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• UAE embassy and consulate

After submitting documents, the school will conduct a written assessment for English, Mathematics and Science. The section heads might also conduct a short interview.

The decision to grant admission rest on the section heads and the principal. Here are the age-grade guidelines followed by the school:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st March (for schools beginning in April). Source: PEA

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

Here is the overview of admission policy for specific grades:

Kindergarten

In the kindergarten stage, the school uses informal assessment for admission. Things considered include reading level, vocabulary, basic concepts of numbers, alphabets and shapes and pencil grasp. Admission in charge is responsible for getting approval for the selected candidates to confirm their admission.

Grade 1 to Grade 8

The section head selects a list of candidates. A written assessment is conducted that include English, Mathematics and Science. Afterwards, section heads make merit-based lists that are delivered to admission in charge. The admission in-charge then contact parents based on the availability.

Grade 9 and Grade 10

The last date for registration for FBISE is April 30. A list is sent to the section head of students appearing for Grade 9. The school then conducts a written test for English, Mathematics and Science. Interviews are conducted for admission in Grade 10. Moreover, students who have cleared Grade 9 from any school following the Pakistani board will be granted admission in Grade 10.

Grade 11 and Grade 12

The deadline for these grades is also April 30. A list of candidates is delivered to the section head for interviews. Admissions are granted based on the outcome of the interview. Candidates who have cleared Grade 11 from any Pakistan board school will be eligible for Grade 12.

For more information, read the admission process and admission policy at PEA Dubai.

The Pakistan Education Academy Fees is as follows:

Mandatory Fees

Tuition Fee

Other Fees

Computer Fee (Optional)

For more information, view the school’s fees structure.

The school does not provide scholarship opportunities to its students.

PEA Dubai has a canteen that nutritious food to students.

The school provides safe and reliable transport for its pupils. Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) manages the transport operations for the school. They have state-of-the-art buses with outstanding safety and security features, such as video surveillance, GPS tracking, sleeping child checks, panic buttons, seat belts, and an electronic attendance system. The bus drivers and helpers act professionally as per the guidelines set by their organisation.

The transportation fee is as follows:

Currently, PEA has no plans to offer boarding facilities to its students.

Pakistan Education Academy does not offer any holiday camps. It provides homework during the summer and winter holidays to keep them busy. It helps them to remain engaged in studies without overloading them.

It offers a limited range of sports facilities to its students. There are separate outdoor spaces for Kindergarten and older students. The kindergarten play zone has suitable equipment for climbing, jumping, hopping, running and other physical activities. The other playground is for arranging sports day. The major sports activities at school are:

Most extra-curricular activities at PEA are club-based activities. The school clubs are available for different age groups. Both boys and girls are encouraged to participate in these clubs to discover their hidden skills.
Educational trips are another popular non-curricular activity among students. PEA also arranges competitions for students to display their skills in front of others. These competitions include:

The school arranges regular field trips to ensure that students learn beyond the classroom boundaries. This is important as it allows them to gain practical information about the concepts they learn in schools. The most prominent trip is the Umrah trip to secondary and higher secondary boys. Some notable national field trips include visits to Dubai Museum, Safa Park and Dubai Dolphinarium.

Other noteworthy field trips are:

Currently, the school does not offer any after-school care to its students.

There is a medical centre in a private office setting with a medical table, a couch, a station for medicines and a working desk. It is also equipped with handling chronic health conditions such as diabetes and asthma. The medical staff at PEA comprises school nurses trained to provide emergency and non-emergency healthcare to students and staff members.

PEA considers the positive relationship between school and home vital for students’ progress. Constant communication allows parents and teachers to share valuable information at the earliest to support learning. It follows a rigorous parent relationship programme.

The parent portal is the foremost source of communication between the school and parents. Parents can easily retrieve attendance records, teachers’ feedback, examination schedules and much more.

Teacher-parent consultation is another mode of communication that helps both parties to talk in detail about the child’s progress.

There is also a newsletter on the school’s website where information about upcoming events, news and school is readily available. Additionally, parents and teachers also communicate through school designated WhatsApp groups.

• Location: P.O. Box 621, Oud Metha Road, Umm Hurair 2, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• Telephone Number: +971 4 3370126
• Fax Number: 971 4 3347112
• Email Address: info@pea.ae
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Note that the cover image belongs to Pakistan Education Academy.