Wellbeing census for Dubai schools gets underway

Students and staff across Dubai’s private schools are taking a closer look at their wellbeing as part of a census rolled out by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

This year, around 100,000 pupils (grades 6-12) and 20,000 school staff are expected to take part in the Dubai Student Wellbeing Census and the Adults@School Wellbeing Survey.

They will be answering questions on topics related to their relationships at school and at home, their engagement with teaching and learning, and their feelings about the future.

The study will also include new questions about COVID-19 and its impact on emotional and psychological wellbeing.

"This year, life has thrown us one of the biggest tests we’ve ever faced.  What has helped us to work through this test was not our academic performance, but our resilience, our optimism, and our relationships with others. Wellbeing has always been important, but in these past few months, we’ve realized just how important it really is," said Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of KHDA.

The Dubai Student Wellbeing Census is a five-year project conducted with the Department for Education in South Australia.

The Adults@School Wellbeing Survey, held with the support of the Wellbeing Lab, helps school teachers and staff better understand and improve their own wellbeing. Each adult who completes the survey receives their own confidential in-depth report.

The census and the survey are open to students and staff, including students studying through distance, blended and face-to-face learning.

They are taking place from November 1, 2020, to November 30, 2020.

It's a Wellbeing World. The Dubai Student Wellbeing Census and Adults@School Wellbeing Survey are on now. More than 100,000 students from 187 schools took part last year and we'll be sharing wellbeing insights throughout the month. #BeingWellDubai #StraightUpStats pic.twitter.com/GCy0NQjqVp

— KHDA | هيئة المعرفة والتنمية البشرية بدبي (@KHDA) November 1, 2020