Children lag in Arabic because it is not the lingua franca in Dubai, say teachers
▶ Education report highlights language’s slow progress in Dubai’s private schools
An education report has laid bare a lack of progress in the teaching of Arabic in private schools in Dubai.
In the Indian school curriculum just 21 per cent of schools were rated as “good” or “better” for Arabic as an additional language by education regulator the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. That rose to 42 and 52 per cent for United Kingdom and United States curriculums, respectively. Among the better results was 73 per cent for Ministry of Education curriculum schools – many pupils there tend to be native Arabic speakers.
Released this week, the 10th annual report – A Decade of Growth – differentiated between Arabic taught as an additional language and as a first language. Both subjects showed improvement over 10 years but the rate was slower than other subjects. The stark difference became apparent when comparing the rate of improvement in subjects such as mathematics, in which 71 per cent of Indian schools received good and better ratings this year, compared with 43 per cent 10 years ago. About 73 per cent of Indian schools achieved good or better ratings in English and science, up from 42 per cent in 2008 – when KHDA first did the assessment.
Rashmi Nandkeolyar, principal and director of Delhi Private School in Dubai, said the disparity was down to a lack of motivation from pupils to study the subject.
The school teaches Arabic as an additional language and received a rating of weak in middle and secondary school for attainment of goals and an acceptable rating for progress. For English, it earned an outstanding rate through primary, middle and secondary school.
“Pupils are not using Arabic and so don’t see the value of it in their lives. Arabic is not the lingua franca in Dubai and they can manage without it,” Ms Nandkeolyar said.
“This has to change because if they want to live in this region, knowing Arabic is an advantage.” Pupils are also less inclined to study Arabic because the language is not tested in board exams, she said. “They do well in French since it’s a board paper and we are motivated by board results.”
To combat this, the school has introduced Arabic classes to children in kindergarten, although they are not required to do so until Grade 1.
Delhi Private School is also using cartoons, films, radio shows, events and competitions where pupils are obliged to speak in Arabic. An integrated learning approach is also adopted by connecting Arabic with different subjects.
“These practices have helped the school improve but not at the pace accepted because the bar keeps being moved up,” Ms Nandkeolyar said.
Naomi Williams, the headmistress at Foremarke School in Dubai, said the school was making progress. It ranked acceptable for attainment of goals and good for progress.
“Children who don’t speak Arabic as a first language do not use Arabic at all in Dubai. In addition, Arabic is one of the most difficult languages to learn. These factors are coupled with the transitory nature of life in the country,” Ms Williams said.
“We need to raise levels in Arabic and we are focusing on leadership and teaching. Our performance has improved marginally over the years.”
The school has Arabic teaching assistants to pay closer attention to each pupil’s needs. Foremarke School also has an individual action plan for Arabic underachievers.
“We have a robust tracking and assessment procedure for Arabic as a first language and for Arabic as an additional language,” she said.
Fatma Belrehif, the executive director of Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, said: “Individual inspection reports provide each school with detailed recommendations on areas for improvement annually.
“The inspection process focuses on scrutinising school’s improvement plans and the quality of leadership in driving improvement.”