In this article, Gulf Insider will give you an insight on how the performance of government schools in Bahrain is reviewed.
According to the Education and Training Quality Authority (BQA), the ‘Schools Review Handbook’ is used in reviewing schools in Bahrain.
The Schools Review Framework is organised into three main domains. The First Domain focuses on the quality of outcomes and includes two aspects:
- Academic achievement aspect
- Personal development and social responsibility aspect
The Second Domain addresses the quality of main processes, including two aspects:
- Teaching, learning and assessment aspect
- Empowerment and meeting special needs aspect
The Third Domain is about the quality assurance of outcomes and processes, including the leadership, management and governance aspect.
The criteria in all aspects of the Framework are judged based on a four- point scale, being ‘Outstanding’, ‘Good’, ‘Satisfactory’ and ‘Inadequate’.
According to BQA, the reviews are independent, objective and transparent and provide important information about the schools’ strengths as well as areas for improvement.
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bahrain, the reviews were suspended from early March to May end (2020). During the suspension period, the Directorate of Government School Reviews (DGS) evaluated distance education practices and applications instead.
This was conducted through collecting and analysing distance education data and information from all government schools, evaluating the central virtual sessions offered by the Ministry of Education, as well as evaluating the televised sessions. Additionally, the views of students and their parents were collected and analysed.
