Dubai: Dubaiās private schools have ranked among the worldās top 10 education systems across all areas assessed by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, strengthening the emirateās position among the worldās leading education systems and achieving a key target set out in the Dubai Education 33 Strategy.
Commenting on the occasion, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, affirmed that the UAE, guided by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, continues to place education at the heart of human development and shaping the future, recognising it as a key pillar of sustainable development and the countryās global competitiveness.
His Highness said that investing in people and knowledge remains a key priority for the UAE, and that building a world-class education system is central to preparing Emirati generations with the knowledge, skills, capabilities and confidence to shape the future and contribute to the nationās development.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed said: āWe begin the new academic year with an achievement that reflects the strength and continued progress of Dubaiās education system. Dubaiās private schools have ranked among the worldās best in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025, reaffirming Dubaiās advanced position in the education sector and reflecting His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoumās ambitious vision to establish Dubai as a global destination for educational excellence and quality, while providing the best educational opportunities for its students.ā
His Highness said: āWe have great confidence in everyone working with dedication to achieve new accomplishments for Dubai and its people. We have even greater confidence in the ability of Dubaiās schools, teachers, students and parents to continue making progress and build on these results to reach new levels of excellence. Our goal remains clear and unwavering. Every student in Dubai should receive a high-quality education that opens up broader opportunities for the future and equips them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to play an active role in shaping it. This will support the UAEās aspirations and further strengthen its global competitiveness and leading position.ā
Private schools also ranked ninth globally in computational problem solving, with an average score of 534 points, outperforming the OECD average by 34 points. Introduced as a new domain in PISA 2025, computational problem solving assesses studentsā ability to use computational tools and practices to explore ideas, build knowledge and solve complex problems.
PISA is an international assessment administered every three years by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to evaluate the knowledge and skills of 15-year-old students. The assessment measures their ability to apply mathematics, science and reading skills in real-world contexts.
PISA, or the Programme for International Student Assessment, is a global standardised test held every three years to measure the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students in science, mathematics, and reading. It is developed and administered by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
In the 2025 cycle, more than 760,000 students across 90+ countries and economies took part. Science was a major focus of this round of testing. PISA 2025 also introduced a new domain called Learning in the digital world, which tests students' computational problem-solving and self-regulated learning skills
