Abu Dhabi: A new agreement signed in the capital today (Tuesday) will enable schools to offer the International Baccalaureate curriculum more easily and efficiently, senior education officials said in the capital.
As schools adopt the curricula, it will widen the choice of educational programmes available to schoolchildren in the emirate, they added.
The agreement, which is valid for three years, sets out the steps for schools to receive authorisation from the International Bacclaureate Organisation (IBO), which is necessary in order to offer the curriculum, and licensing from the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) when required. In addition, schools implementing the programme must also implement UAE-specific requirements, including subjects like Arabic, Islamic Education and UAE Social Studies.
“The aim of the agreement is to allow new schools to be licensed by the Adec as IB schools, with the IBO appointing support staff for educators so that the school can be formally authorised by them once they meet all IBO standards,” said Hamad Al Daheri, executive director of the private schools and quality assurance sector at the Adec.
Already, 10 schools in the emirate offer the curriculum, which has specific programmes for children between the ages of three and 19. In the UAE, there were 31 institutions last year, compared with just 11 in 2008, officials told Gulf News.
“We have seen growing interest in the curriculum, which not only focuses on critical thinking and research but also on educating pupils about their own culture within a global context,” said Adrien Kearney, IBO regional director for Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
The IB is one of at least 15 curricula on offer across Abu Dhabi schools. IBO officials said that more and more pupils, especially Emiratis, are enrolling in the programme. However, details about the actual figures were not immediately available.
One of the main features of the IB curriculum is that it emphasises research skills, and Grade 11 and 12 pupils must complete a 4,000 word extended essay over the course of two years. In addition, it also stresses the learning of multiple languages.
