Computer Assisted School Administration in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country in which the governance of education has been centralized. The use of computers for administrative applications in education reflects the approach of centralization. As an evolution, most development work is done in a centrally located computer center at the Ministry of Education. School administration in the UAE educational system has experienced a rapid computerization process. The chapter presents the ways in which the Emirates educational system is coping with this issue. A brief overview of the structure of the educational system in UAE will be presented. Subsequently, the chapter will study how Information Technology in Educational Management (ITEM) use has developed over a decade. Recently, there have been various modifications within the educational system in the UAE, specifically towards modernization and decentralization. Nonetheless, a certain maturity has been reached in using ITEM. Therefore, the chapter will attempt to monitor the significance of this alternation on the system’s implementation and use of technology.