According to a survey by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), students in private schools experience high levels of wellbeing and happiness. Launched in 2017, the Dubai Student Wellbeing Census aims to find out how students feel and think about their own wellbeing, happiness, quality of life, and relationships. The five-year project helps schools to improve student wellbeing and supports Dubai’s vision to be among the five happiest cities in the world by 2021.
The survey covered over 95,000 students studying in grades 6-9 and 10-12, from 181 schools, and measured social and mental wellbeing. The results showed that four out of five students , 81%, reported high levels of satisfaction.
Key findings of the well-being survey
- 81 per cent of students reported satisfaction in life.
- 85 per cent students reported to be optimistic in life
- 83 per cent of students believed that teachers and students treat each other with respect in their schools
- 78 per cent of students believe that other students in their schools help each other, even if they’re not friends.
The survey went beyond students to cover teachers and school staff as part of wellbeing survey as Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of KHDA said, “The results from the first year of the Census taught us that student wellbeing doesn’t only depend on schools, or teachers, but on the whole community working together. So, we decided to expand our measurement of wellbeing to include adults at schools too.”
More than 13,000 teachers, principals, school administrators and support staff at Dubai schools shared their insights in a separate Adults@School Wellbeing Survey. Designed to encourage adults at private schools in Dubai to understand and improve their own wellbeing, teachers and school staff received individual reports with suggestions on how to improve their wellbeing based on their PERMAH (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, and health) score.