A questionnaire in public and private schools to diagnose the challenges hindering students’ progress

Public and private school administrations that implement the Ministry of Education’s curriculum are working to adopt an in-depth diagnostic approach to address the low academic achievement of struggling students, in a step aimed at moving from quick solutions to educational intervention based on analysis and data.
Schools focus on “diagnosis before treatment,” with the aim of dismantling the causes of stumbling and identifying its true roots, whether academic, psychological, organizational, or family, enabling administrations to develop targeted remedial programs that take into account individual differences among students and enhance their chances of academic and psychological success.
In detail, the administrations of a number of schools announced the start of implementing a diagnostic questionnaire targeting students in grades nine through twelfth in the general and advanced tracks, as part of a well-thought-out plan that seeks to understand the educational, psychological, and organizational challenges that hinder students’ progress, in preparation for developing realistic and customized solutions.
School administrations confirmed in school circulars and letters that the questionnaires do not aim to classify students or hold them responsible for stumbling, but rather to analyze the educational context surrounding them, whether inside or outside the classroom, in a way that helps build an accurate perception of the nature of the difficulties they face.
The questionnaire reviewed by Emirates Today includes basic academic topics, the most prominent of which are weak foundational skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic operations, difficulty concentrating during classes, and confusion in understanding some concepts, in addition to anxiety and tension during exams, the accumulation of assignments, and the lack of time allocated for review.
The questionnaire also monitors observations related to teaching methods, such as the clarity of explanation, the use of visual and interactive means, and the effectiveness of supportive educational plans, which opens the way for reviewing classroom practices and not just student performance.
Schools did not ignore the psychological and behavioral aspects, as the questionnaire included indicators related to loss of motivation towards learning, procrastination in completing assignments, absence of clear educational goals, and weak self-confidence, which are factors that educators confirm have become more present in recent years, as a result of academic pressures and changing learning styles.
The questionnaire addresses the role of the family in monitoring academic achievement, the level of communication with the school, and the extent of students’ readiness for final exams, which reflects schools’ awareness of the importance of educational partnership in treating academic failure.
School administrations have confirmed, through their letters to parents and students, that all data collected is treated with complete confidentiality and is used for purely educational purposes, in preparation for developing academic and psychological support programs, including strengthening classes, individual learning plans, psychological guidance, and continuous coordination with parents.
For their part, the parents of (Saeed Al-Taniji, Umm Salma, Hossam Haddad, Saeed Hareb, and Siham Abdullah) expressed their satisfaction with the launch of these questionnaires, considering that they reflect a positive shift in schools’ dealing with academic failure, away from reducing the problem to grades or final results.
They emphasized that involving the family in the diagnosis reduces the state of stress that students experience, and enhances their feeling that the school is a supportive partner and not just an accountability body.
For their part, the teachers (Atef Hassan, Saed Abu Samra, Abdel Moneim Ali, Raafat Al-Halabi, Fadwa Ahmed, and Nima Hamzawi) believed that diagnostic questionnaires contribute to revealing aspects that do not always appear in the classroom, stressing that some students show normal interaction during classes, but they suffer from psychological or organizational pressures that are negatively reflected in exams.
They pointed out that the results of the questionnaire will help teachers to reconsider explanation methods, diversify teaching strategies, and reduce the focus on memorization in favor of understanding and application, especially in scientific subjects and subjects of a cumulative nature.
They emphasized that involving the teacher in analyzing the results enhances the effectiveness of the interventions, and makes treatment part of the daily educational process, not an emergency procedure.
Educational Dr. Faris Jabour, director of a private school, said that this step represents an important transition from the logic of blame to the logic of understanding, explaining that academic failure is often the result of the intersection of several factors, and not a weakness in the student’s abilities or intelligence.

He pointed out that relying on scientific diagnostic tools allows schools to design individual support plans, instead of general solutions, stressing that educational justice begins when each student receives the support that suits his needs, not what is provided to everyone on a formal equal basis.
He added that linking diagnosis to continuous follow-up and intervention is the decisive factor for the success of these initiatives, warning against simply collecting data without converting it into actual treatment programs.
This trend comes in a broader context in which schools seek to enhance the quality of education, achieve educational justice, and support struggling students with scientific methods that take into account the human dimension as well as the academic one, in line with the vision of the Ministry of Education in building a stimulating educational environment that helps students overcome difficulties and achieve stability and academic success.