New school model in Abu Dhabi to enhance individuality

Abu Dhabi: Six thousand principals and teachers of grades kindergarten to three in Abu Dhabi public schools are to attend a conference on September 13, to be better acquainted with the new model to be implemented in the coming school year.

The model, developed by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec), is meant to enhance interactivity and foster individuality among pupils, which would be further explained at the conference, titled Bedaya, or ‘new beginning' in Arabic.

Dr Mugheer Al Khaili, Director-General of Adec, said: "The new school model will allow pupils to be the centre of an active and engaging teaching and learning environment".

The right tools

"We want to foster our students to become individual thinkers and doers by giving the right tools early in their childhood preparing them to compete in a global economy."

Attendees at the conference will be from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the Western Region, a spokeswoman told Gulf News. Among the participants would be 1,200 new teachers from the UK, US, Australia and other countries.

"This is the first phase of the new school model, and it covers cycle one of education, which is grades [kindergarten to three]. This is the first time that an initiative like Bedaya is being carried out, where such a number of educators are gathered together," the spokeswoman said.

"The following day, we will have a training session for these educators, titled Qiyada, [or ‘leadership' in Arabic], which will provide the practical knowledge for them on how to carry out the new school plan," she added.

Private schools

Gulf News spoke to teachers and parents of children enrolled in private Abu Dhabi schools about their impressions of the new school plan, and whether they thought that a plan for the private sector was also needed.

Amna Al Shamsi, Principal of Al Sharq Al Awsat School (which was previously named Sa'ad Bin Obaidah School), indicated that the plan was leading public schools in the right direction.

"I believe that if public schools were to implement these changes, then they will definitely be headed in the right direction for a positive change."

HA, whose child attends Rosary School in Abu Dhabi, indicated that although the level of education provided by the school was good, the parent felt as though fee increases for items such as books and uniforms needed to be better monitored.