Results Day in Dubai: What grade do you give it?

Yesterday marked a significant milestone for students across Dubai and around the world as they received their results for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme.

To all those students — congratulations. These acolades reflect years of hard work, resilience, and determination. Well done.

As in past years schools across Dubai were quick to publish key statistics — pass rates, top scores, and overall averages. We celebrate with these schools and students who have achieved great things. Many have attained mean scores about the global average, or beaten their previous results. Some highlight top-performing students — including the rare few who earn the perfect IB score of 45, achieved by just 0.1–0.3% of students globally.

These numbers are on one hand genuine declarations of the pride schools have in their graduates; but they’re also signs of the wider education landscape here in the UAE. In a city where education is a major private sector industry, performance metrics carry weight — with prospective families often relying on them to make decisions about where to enrol their children.

Yet not all schools publish their results — and they are under no obligation to do so. Some may withhold them if they fall short of other schools or their previous years results. Then there are those who choose not to share them at all, as a statement of principle: that student growth and success cannot and should not be reduced to a set of numbers.

And it’s here that we pause to acknowledge results day can also a time of disappointment. For those whose results didn’t reflect their effort, or potential, the day can be tough. Illness, personal challenges, or simply a bad day in the exam hall can all contribute. Some students may find their plans disrupted — missing the mark to enter their first-choice university, or a need to resit exams. That can be hard to process. But it’s important to remember that these are just small setbacks, and there will be a way forward.

As part of our “Memories Monday” series — exploring how the Dubai education system can feel very foreign for expats – I’ve reflected on my own results day experiences. When I received my final school results in New Zealand, they arrived by post (now done online). We spent the next few days calling our friends to compare grades and see how we’d all done. In Dubai, results are shared at school, students gather together with peers, teachers, and families. Social media posts present it as a joyful reunion and a celebration but I can’t help think there must be those struggling to process disappointment. Imagining that in such a public setting makes me awfully uncomfortable. But perhaps that speaks more to culture and personality, as I am sure there will be those who think it better to face hardship with the support of community.  

How did my results day go? Well, it turns out I had achieved an ‘A’ overall and the second highest score in my school. That might sound impressive, but I don’t think there were many more than 30 of us sitting the exams. We’d started high school with a cohort of around 100, but university was never an expectation for everyone. Many of my classmates pursued trades, started working, or took different paths entirely — and they’ve gone on to find success in their chosen fields.

So while I’ve reshared results posted by schools this week — because I know that, for many families, they matter — I also want to offer some balance. A school can’t be judged on grades alone. Statistics can be curated, shaped, and selectively presented. A great school is one that supports growth — in confidence, character, and curiosity. It’s a place where children feel safe, seen, and supported. Where they’re encouraged to pursue their interests, whether that’s robotics, art, drama, sport, or something else entirely. Where their values are shaped and their dreams take root. Grades don’t capture who your child is, or who they’re becoming.

At Navigate.Ed, our mission is to help you find that kind of school. One where your child can thrive — not just in exams, but in life.