It’s back to school in the UAE – with lessons in morality to deliver a generation of critical, analytical thinkers
▶ Leaders tour schools to witness latest developments in classes
Tolerance, community spirit and compassion are the focus of new moral education classes to be introduced in schools across the emirates this week.
Government and private schools will deliver one lesson per week on a range of topics aimed at making pupils “look into themselves and consider how they perceive the world”.
“The aim is to give students the intrinsic ability to think critically, to question, to look at the world through a moral spectrum. It doesn’t impose a moral ideology – it enables the students to explore their own individual sense of morality,” said Tariq Al Otaiba, senior associate for strategic affairs at the Crown Prince Court, which is behind the programme.
There are no textbooks, exams or teachers, but schools have been given resources to teach the subject, including help from international trainers.
“It was never designed to be a course taught by book,” he said. “What we want is conscientious individuals with a strong character and a strong sense of individual morality.
“We want a generation of youth who think for themselves. That openly question. That are critical thinkers. That can analyse. We want to build the tools that will allow all children growing up in the UAE to be the best prepared for the world when they are adults.”
After two-and-a-half months enjoying cooler climes and exam-free days, hundreds of thousands of pupils returned to class yesterday as the new school year got under way.
The country’s leaders were among those to mix among pupils, visiting classrooms and welcoming teachers back after the summer holidays. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, toured several Dubai schools, including Al Maktoum Primary School for Boys and the Jumeirah Model Girls School.
In Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visited Hamdan bin Zayed School – the country’s first trilingual public school where children can study in English, Arabic and Mandarin. Led by principal Fatima Al Bastaki and officials from the Abu Dhabi Education Council, Sheikh Mohammed met pupils and staff to get a first-hand look at the pioneering school in action.
Recently, the Ministry of Education announced that 10 of the public schools it operates in Dubai and Northern Emirates would offer Mandarin as a language of instruction.
The new language class was one of a number of reforms the Government made to the public school system this academic year. The most transformative of these was the merger of the Adec public school curriculum – followed by state schools in the capital region – with the ministry curriculum, which was taught to government schools in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
The unified curriculum, called the Emirati School Model, ensures that no child is left behind when it comes to bilingual education. All children will now be taught maths and sciences in English.
“I’m really happy they have done this. For kids who come from cities like Fujairah and Sharjah it’s completely different, there is a huge gap between our curriculum and theirs,” said Mariam Al Zaabi, a public school parent and teacher in the capital. “In Abu Dhabi, we study maths and science in English, but they studied in Arabic. The business and economy in this country is all in English.”
Ms Al Zaabi, a maths teacher, said the news of the new curriculum was welcome, but caught her by surprise. She had prepared her lessons for this academic year months ago.
“I was planning on having everything ready, and then with a blink everything was shutting down,” she said. “But it’s OK, I can accept it, I am trying to be optimistic. This is life. Inshallah, it will be better, I hope.”
From what she had seen of the new curriculum, the maths standards in elementary school had been raised to focus less on shapes and patterns and more on formulas.
“That is better,” Ms Al Zaabi said. “I don’t care if she knows the square and the circle, what I care about is addition and subtraction and multiplication because this is what they need in their life.”
Public school principal Fatima Al Zaabi said she welcomed the new curriculum, but said teachers and staff needed more training.
“Now they are merged and we are one. It is good, really, because everything will be clear and it will be easier for the parents to understand,” Ms Al Zaabi said. “We need some more training because it is new. Also for the moral education, which is new, they need training.”
But as hallways filled with giddy pupils, the challenges of the new academic year were far from everyone’s minds, teachers and principals said.
“Today was a huge success with returning families as well as new coming back after a wonderful summer,” said Mark Leppard, headmaster at one of the country’s oldest private schools, the British School Al Khubairat.
“There was a real buzz in the air with students meeting their new teachers as well as getting their new timetables. A series of assemblies through the day allowed students to set goals for the year ahead and they were all encouraged to continue to aim high and exceed expectations.”
At Gems Wellington Primary School in Dubai, pupils were pleasantly surprised to find their school had facelift.
“It was like children seeing a birthday present – their eyes peeling open at the wonder and the awe of seeing their school open again,” said Stephen Chynoweth, principal. “To hear the corridor – the chorus of children’s voices – that chatter, that murmur, that life blood of our school, the children and the families back in, was magical.”
Nura Arabi, physical education and health teacher, said teachers had been busy ensuring everything would be just right for the students’ return.
“You have to make sure everything is set, everything is ready for the students,” she said. “It was great to see the students again. I haven’t seen them for the whole summer, so for me as a teacher it’s always nice to see my students again.”
Now the curriculums are merged. It is good, really, because everything will be clear and it will be easier for the parents to understand MARIAM AL ZAABI Teacher and mother