When Michael and Harriet Wright accepted job offers to work in the UAE, the parents of three, were full of enthusiasm. However, the enthusiasm was quickly tempered by the endless list of tasks that would need to be completed prior to relocating from Chicago, Illinois to Dubai.
To complicate matters, their new jobs would begin in late October, long after the start of a traditional school year. How would their children, grades 7 and grades 9 adjust to being in a new country while starting school late? Harriet recalls the late nights on the internet seeking information on everything from international schools to expat social life for teens. “Will the curriculum be the same? Will there be place for the children when they are starting school so late? Will they be able to make friends?”
Late September, the Wrights learned about iCademy Middle East, a Dubai-based, American curriculum online school. “The ad said, ‘it’s never too late for the first day of school’. It spoke dire
Since the mid 1990s, the internet has changed nearly every facet of our lives. However, with the exception of some classroom technology, mainstream education has largely remained unchanged for the past 100 years. But according to recent data, families are demanding more.
The region’s only NEASC-accredited and KHDA-licensed online school, iCademy Middle East has seen a 25 per cent increase in high-school students who are opting to attend school online while receiving in-person blended classes. “Students can choose to attend in-person classes two, three, or five days a week,” says Nurashia Muhammad, iCademy’s Registrar. “If they’d rather stay at home, we also have virtual Knowledge Hub. If they don’t need the Knowledge Hub support, they can still attend our online school. The freedom to choose really makes our students feel empowered.”
Jeffrey Smith, Director of Admissions, discusses the parent journey. “Prior to enrolment, our counsellors sit down with parents (and
Schools are getting back in action, but it doesn't mean all students have returned to their campuses full time some still choose to take their classes on..
The region’s first New England Association of Schools and Colleges-accredited and KHDA-licensed online school, iCademy Middle East has more than doubled in size in the past three years. According to a recent internal study, iCademy Middle East parents cite flexibility and convenience as key reasons for switching to the online school.