Explained: 'Grade inflation' that prompted ban on new admissions at some UAE schools

Khaleej Times

16-07-2025

As concerns around inflated grading gains traction across certain schools in the UAE's private education sector, many other institutions are also stepping up efforts to safeguard academic integrity.
Most recently, Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) temporarily barred 12 private schools in the Capital from enrolling students in Grades 11 and 12 due to grade inflation.
With education regulators intensifying their oversight of academic records, schools in the country are not just reacting to compliance requirements — they are proactively implementing quality assurance and fairness in their assessment practices.
In an interview with Khaleej Times, school leaders explained how they are aligning predicted grades with actual student outcomes in external assessments such as NGRT (New Group Reading Test), Progress Tests, and international benchmark exams. These comparisons help ensure accountability, sharpen teaching practices, and align internal evaluations with global standards.
Understanding grade inflation
Grade inflation refers to the trend of rising student grades over time without a corresponding increase in academic achievement. When students receive higher marks without demonstrating deeper learning, those grades become inflated.
This shift undermines the reliability of grades as a true measure of academic performance, making it harder for stakeholders — such as parents, educators, and college admissions officers — to accurately assess student capabilities, allocate resources effectively, or hold students accountable.
But even as fresh discussions around this emerge in the country, concerns about the credibility of course grades are not new.
In fact, grade inflation has been appearing to be accelerating, even among elite institutions like the Ivy League. For instance, The Daily Princetonian reported that 'The average GPA (at Princeton University) for the 2022–2023 academic year was 3.56 out of 4.00, an increase from the 2018–2019 average of 3.46.' While notable, this increase is still lower than Harvard's average GPA of 3.80 in 2020–21 academic year and Yale's 3.70 in 2022–23.
A similar pattern has been unfolding in the UK. Both Oxford and Cambridge have seen a growing number of students earning first-class degrees over the past decade. However, Oxford's rate of inflation has remained lower compared to other institutions.
Ensuring consistency
Lyudmyla Klykova, Founding Principal at Hampton Heights International School under the Woodlem Education group, highlighted how their commitment to compliance is embedded in their assessment culture.
'We place deep importance on compliance and transparency to meet rigorous assessment standards. As part of our education group, we engage in cross-campus audits where assessment policies, marking schemes, and sample student work are reviewed collaboratively to ensure consistency and adherence to external benchmarks.'
The school has implemented a multi-layered internal system to detect discrepancies and support staff in maintaining grading integrity.
'Our internal quality assurance system rigorously tracks discrepancies between predicted grades and actual student performance on standardised or external exams such as NGRT, Progress Tests, and Cambridge Checkpoint assessments. Data from internal assessments and predicted grades is systematically compared against external results each term. Any significant gaps trigger a detailed analysis led by the Senior Leadership Team and Heads of Department.'
These efforts are reinforced with professional development initiatives.
'Teachers participate in internal training sessions focused on aligning assessments with the British Curriculum and Cambridge International standards. These sessions include moderation workshops where teachers collaboratively review student work to establish consistent marking practices and grading standards. Additionally, our senior staff lead workshops on developing high-quality assessments and using detailed rubrics to ensure transparency and fairness.'
To further align with international best practices, the school encourages staff to attend training organised by reputed boards. 'Many also participate in Cambridge examiner training to gain insights into external assessment expectations. Through this combination of internal and external training, our teachers build shared understanding, maintain high standards, and ensure that assessment practices are both rigorous and fair.'
Such data-driven approaches not only enhance accountability but also support school improvement efforts. 'Moderation sessions and data review meetings help refine prediction accuracy and maintain accountability. Patterns identified across subjects or year groups inform broader school improvement plans.'
Global alignment in assessment standards
For Global Indian International School (GIIS) Dubai, alignment across the group's 64 schools in 11 countries plays a central role in preventing grade inflation.
Anita Singh, Principal of GIIS Dubai, said, 'To ensure fair practices and prevent grade inflation, we review the worksheets or revision work given to students. The format/blueprint is discussed with students to improve their understanding and how they should answer it. Webinar is conducted for parents before assessments for their understanding.'
She explained how the school's group-wide coordination contributes to maintaining consistency. 'GIIS Dubai is part of the Global Schools Group, Singapore, with more than 64 schools across 11 countries. We take education very seriously. To ensure compliance and transparency, we follow the practice of setting a common paper for all GIIS schools across different countries. The common paper set by one school is reviewed, revised as per expected standards and shared before the assessments. This is done in senior school and now we are implementing it in primary and middle school too. This helps raise standards and ensures no grade inflation.'
The school also uses assessment data to pinpoint skill gaps and take corrective measures. 'Data analysis is done for internal assessments and targets are set phase wise and grade wise based on students' performance. Data triangulation is done with external benchmarks to identify learning gaps for skills and competences. If the actuals are not at par with the predicted scores, a data review meeting is held with the subject head and SLT to brainstorm and draw strategies for the red flags and bridge the gaps.'
Progress is closely monitored through monthly reviews. 'The Academic Head holds monthly campus review meetings to discuss the progress which is tracked to ensure the actions taken bring positive results.'