Report Cards to Partnerships: How UAE parents, schools are redefining their roles

There was a time when the relationship between schools and parents largely revolved around report cards, annual days and the occasional parent-teacher meeting. That equation has changed sharply across the UAE. Parents now want to know not only how their children are performing academically, but also how they are coping emotionally, behaving socially and developing as individuals. Schools, in turn, are stepping into spaces that once sat firmly within the home. The modern parent-school relationship has become more layered and far more demanding than before.

“There is a clear shift. Today, parents are partners, not just observers,” says Dr Vandana Gandhi, CEO and Founder of British Orchard Nursery. She says families today want to understand “how their child is learning, growing and feeling every day”, and believes this deeper level of involvement has strengthened relationships between nurseries and families across the group’s UAE and UK centres.

At Glendale International School, Principal Jasmit Kang sees a similar change. “Parental involvement has become far more intentional and collaborative,” she says. “Parents today are deeply engaged in their child’s learning journey, seeking transparency, regular communication and meaningful partnership with schools rather than remaining on the periphery.”

That growing involvement is changing the expectations placed on educators. Schools today are expected to guide conversations around screen time, behaviour and social interaction.

Beyond the classroom

For some educators, especially in the early years space, the separation between education and parenting is no longer rigid.

“In the early years, there is no line. It’s a shared responsibility,” says Gandhi. She believes nurseries provide structure, expertise and social engagement, while parents provide emotional grounding and values at home. “When both align, the child truly benefits,” she says.

British Orchard Nursery has expanded that philosophy beyond the classroom. Gandhi points to parenting seminars, nanny training courses and emotional intelligence programmes designed not only for children but for families as a whole. Its EQ initiative, Beefull, extends support to parents through webinars, focus group sessions and informal gatherings aimed at helping families navigate early childhood challenges together.

Schools are also recognising that supporting children means supporting parents emotionally, with modern families coming under immense pressure, as parents juggle demanding careers and fears about their child’s future.

“We’ve seen that when parents feel supported, children feel secure,” says Gandhi. She says nurseries today cannot focus only on the child in isolation because family well-being directly affects a child’s sense of security and confidence.

At the same time, educators are careful to remind families that schools cannot carry the entire responsibility for raising a child.

“Education is a shared journey,” says Kang. “A school can guide, nurture and inspire, but it is the partnership with parents that truly shapes a child’s character and future.”