Parent's Review of American International School in Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi, UAE

What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)

American International School in Abu Dhabi

In what town or city is this school located?

Abu Dhabi

How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)

American/Canadian & IB

What grade levels are represented at this school?

Pre-K -12

How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)

vehicle

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

Nice building, but poorly maintained since the owners pocket most of the tuitions in this proprietary school. Classrooms are lacking since teachers do not have their own classrooms. Construction occurs frequently to support a burgeoning student population. .

What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?

Actually, very little. The American Diploma program in the secondary school has been watered down so that the majority of the local students can graduate. This has been difficult for my children. The other alternative was to enter them into the IB program, but the resources are very poor to support a proper education. The poor quality of education does little to help students achieve the proficiency required to pass the SAT exams.

How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?

AISA does not encourage social activities involving parents, except for perhaps Open House and Parent-Teacher Conferences.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?

Seek another school in Abu Dhabi. AISA is tending more to be a local school accepting an increasing number of troubled local students who have been removed from other schools in the nation.

The tuitions are the second highest in the Emirate, and one of the highest in the nation. This proprietary school is highly profit motivated, since the owners take up to 30% of the tuition as profit. It seems that over the years, tuitions and enrolment have risen excessively while quality of education has decreased.

The calibre of education at AISA is mediocre. The student clients are not considered to be important. Classrooms tend to be slum-like with old, inferior furnishings, and are not attractively decorated to stimulate student learning. Student bathrooms tend to smell more pungent through the day, so it appears hygiene is not a major consideration. Bullying of students occurs frequently.

AISA is segregated school where boys and girls above grade 4 are forbidden to mix. If boys and girls are caught interacting, the punishments can be severe, including expulsion and/or legal action.

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