The kids stay in the picture – thanks to life lessons from photography
Boys at risk of dropping out of school are responding to a new challenge, says Ruba Haza
Perhaps they are troublemakers, perhaps a hot temper has caused them to bounce from one playground fight to another but a group of difficult boys from one Ras Al Kaimah school has been learning to see life from a different angle – through a photography workshop.
The class is part of the Hands On Learning programme, which has been running at Saeed bin Jubair Boys Secondary School since 2014. The scheme was launched by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research in response to a 2013 study on male pupil drop-out rates in the UAE.
The research found a combination of school factors playing a role in pupils’ decision to skip classes, and then drop out of school. Risk factors include socio-economic background, poorly educated or uninvolved parents and de-motivating school experiences marked by unsupportive teachers and disruptive peers.
A study between 2006 and 2007 in RAK – the most recent – by Dr Natasha Ridge, executive director of the foundation, found that 14 per cent of boys had dropped out of school compared with 2.5 per cent of girls.
The pilot scheme seeks to re-engage those at risk of dropping out through a programme that creates a safe and comfortable environment with hands-on classes that have included building, landscaping, renovation and art projects. Eleven boys between 14 and 18 from the school took part in the latest class, which was also part of the sixth annual Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival.
The students spend one day each week in the HoL classroom at the school. Guy Brooksbank, an American photographer who is an honorary guest artist at the festival, this week taught students how to take better photos with their mobile phones.
“Not only did they learn how to take photos, but they also learnt how to be patient, find inspiration, see things from a different angle, seize the moment and explore their culture in a different way,” Mr Brooksbank said.
The programme is designed to help the teenagers develop life skills such as collaboration, leadership, problem solving, resilience, communication and empathy.
“We try to connect what they take in school with real life, to clarify why it’s important to attend school and be educated, as well as help them to become more organised, improve their self-esteem, be more productive and creative, enjoy learning and achieve success at school,” said Sahar El Asad, research associate at the foundation.
During the class meetings, students are self-directed and encouraged to be creative, thinking of their own ways to build meaningful projects that can serve them, their schools and their communities
“[The pupils] are the troublemakers at school, they used to fight with their peers and teachers, so we try to re-engage them in school,” Ms El Asad said.
Dr Ridge told The National that the programme works to address this disengagement.
“They do not see how school links to their future life and because lessons are very academic with very little practical components,” she said.
“Often they check out mentally from school early on in secondary school and then start acting up and causing trouble, often to hide the fact that they don’t really understand what is going on or because they see no point to it.
The programme, she said, pushes them to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to address the mindsets that might be holding them back.
“We also emphasise life skills such as cooking and cleaning and understanding healthy eating and why it is important for life,” she said.
According to Dr Ridge, nearly all the students emerge from the programme engaged and ready to go places, such as university, which they had never considered before.
“We also teach them English so that they will be confident in broader society and more able to get a job,” she said.
The foundation is still fine tuning the programme and working on coming up with a sustainable model that can be rolled out across the country.
“In particular, the programme hinges heavily upon having an artisan teacher who can teach the boys trade skills and a guidance counsellor who works with them on the soft skills part of the programme,” Dr Ridge said.
This week’s workshop featured a field trip to the historic Jazirat Al Hamra fishing village, where the students had the chance to take pictures of a 17th-century archaeological site.
“This is the first time I have visited this place and it’s very old and unique.
“The workshop made me look at the things around me in a different way and focus on the small details,” said Ahmad Al Bloushi, 14, a pupil in the programme.
“I found out that I love farming and seeing the plants grow. It helped me concentrate more in school and encouraged me to be more focused and organised,” he said.
“When I grow up I want to be an architect to help in building the country and serve the community.”
Another student, Khalifa Al Ghafiri, 17, said that he would like to become an instructor in the programme.
“I joined the programme in 2015 and I learnt how to respect others, take responsibility and be patient.
“These skills have helped me become a better person and achieve more in life and school.”