UAE: Digital illiteracy hinders some parents' participation in school surveys
Digital illiteracy and time pressure are limiting parents' participation in school surveys across the UAE, raising concerns about how accurately schools can reflect family feedback in educational decision-making, some parents who shared their personal experiences told Khaleej Times.While digital platforms have become the primary channel for communication between schools and families, not all parents find it easy or feasible to engage consistently.Badriya, a 30-year-old mother from Dubai, said repeated and lengthy surveys discourage participation. “There are too many questions, and the same survey is repeated several times during the year,” she said, adding that responses should not be duplicated for students already enrolled. Although she finds the platforms themselves manageable with teacher guidance, work pressures and limited time often prevent her from completing surveys.Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on Whatsapp Channels.She noted that digital illiteracy affects many parents, particularly those who struggle to access links or fully understand the questions, calling for clearer, simpler surveys and better guidance from schools.Volume and repetition Similar frustrations are echoed by parents in other emirates. Salama Ahmed, a 31-year-old parent from Ajman, said the volume and repetition of digital surveys across different schools make participation time-consuming and frustrating. She explained that she is often required to complete the same survey separately for two children, including those related to school transport or parent–school agreements at the start of the academic year.Salama said the process frequently involves repeated logins using students’ email accounts, with systems sometimes freezing or failing to load, forcing parents to log in and out multiple times. Amid work and daily commitments, she said, completing surveys can take several days, despite reminders sent through school communication channels.She also raised concerns about overreliance on automated digital systems, recalling an incident in which she received a notification stating her child had missed eight classes, only to later discover it was a system error. Such incidents, she said, can cause unnecessary anxiety and raise questions about the accuracy of digital notifications in sensitive matters such as attendance.Education specialists say the issue is evident across many private schools. Mahra Al Khayli, a parents’ communication specialist, said recent educational and media reports point to a noticeable decline in parental participation in digital surveys. “Parents are often busy, and they receive a high volume of digital messages, which leads some to overlook surveys altogether,” she said.'Make it inclusive and effective' According to Al Khayli, limited participation weakens the quality of data schools rely on, as survey results may not represent all families’ perspectives, making it harder to accurately identify strengths and gaps. While schools have introduced technical support, clearer interfaces, and short instructional guides, she stressed that fair participation requires multiple communication channels, including in-person, phone, and paper-based options, as well as flexible opportunities for parents to share feedback.Challenges related to digital procedures continue to affect daily school operations. Noora Hassan, a school specialist working with parents, said that although schools increasingly rely on electronic platforms to obtain parental approvals, many parents still struggle with digital signatures. “As part of my work, I send consent forms electronically, but many parents face difficulties signing online and request paper copies instead,” she explained.According to Hassan, this often leads to delays in administrative processes and requires ongoing follow-up to ensure tasks are completed on time. She noted that while digital systems are intended to improve efficiency, varying levels of digital literacy among parents mean schools must invest additional time and resources to ensure communication remains inclusive and effective.Why UAE parents prefer supervision over bans on social media for kidsPhones as babysitters? UAE children turn to screens as parents juggle work
Digital illiteracy and time pressure are limiting parents' participation in school surveys across the UAE, raising concerns about how accurately schools can reflect family feedback in educational decision-making, some parents who shared their personal experiences told Khaleej Times.
While digital platforms have become the primary channel for communication between schools and families, not all parents find it easy or feasible to engage consistently.
Badriya, a 30-year-old mother from Dubai, said repeated and lengthy surveys discourage participation. “There are too many questions, and the same survey is repeated several times during the year,” she said, adding that responses should not be duplicated for students already enrolled. Although she finds the platforms themselves manageable with teacher guidance, work pressures and limited time often prevent her from completing surveys.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on Whatsapp Channels.
She noted that digital illiteracy affects many parents, particularly those who struggle to access links or fully understand the questions, calling for clearer, simpler surveys and better guidance from schools.
Volume and repetition
Similar frustrations are echoed by parents in other emirates. Salama Ahmed, a 31-year-old parent from Ajman, said the volume and repetition of digital surveys across different schools make participation time-consuming and frustrating. She explained that she is often required to complete the same survey separately for two children, including those related to school transport or parent–school agreements at the start of the academic year.
Salama said the process frequently involves repeated logins using students’ email accounts, with systems sometimes freezing or failing to load, forcing parents to log in and out multiple times. Amid work and daily commitments, she said, completing surveys can take several days, despite reminders sent through school communication channels.
She also raised concerns about overreliance on automated digital systems, recalling an incident in which she received a notification stating her child had missed eight classes, only to later discover it was a system error. Such incidents, she said, can cause unnecessary anxiety and raise questions about the accuracy of digital notifications in sensitive matters such as attendance.
Education specialists say the issue is evident across many private schools. Mahra Al Khayli, a parents’ communication specialist, said recent educational and media reports point to a noticeable decline in parental participation in digital surveys. “Parents are often busy, and they receive a high volume of digital messages, which leads some to overlook surveys altogether,” she said.
'Make it inclusive and effective'
According to Al Khayli, limited participation weakens the quality of data schools rely on, as survey results may not represent all families’ perspectives, making it harder to accurately identify strengths and gaps. While schools have introduced technical support, clearer interfaces, and short instructional guides, she stressed that fair participation requires multiple communication channels, including in-person, phone, and paper-based options, as well as flexible opportunities for parents to share feedback.
Challenges related to digital procedures continue to affect daily school operations. Noora Hassan, a school specialist working with parents, said that although schools increasingly rely on electronic platforms to obtain parental approvals, many parents still struggle with digital signatures. “As part of my work, I send consent forms electronically, but many parents face difficulties signing online and request paper copies instead,” she explained.
According to Hassan, this often leads to delays in administrative processes and requires ongoing follow-up to ensure tasks are completed on time.
She noted that while digital systems are intended to improve efficiency, varying levels of digital literacy among parents mean schools must invest additional time and resources to ensure communication remains inclusive and effective.
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