Education 'holds key to positive ideals'

Dubai: Without a doubt, education presents youths with great role models whether it is in narrating the works and inventions of past intellectuals, artists and leaders, or in the influential presence of a teacher.

Some educationists, however, argue that these positive role models are slowly losing their influential charisma to the adverse impact of entertainment industry and rise in life's expenses.

According to Sana Abdul Atheem, a counsellor at the Ministry of Education, the increase in living expenses and extremely tight and busy schedules add to the pressure on teachers, who can't find the energy to inspire students.

‘Too busy'

“The involvement of parents in the life and education of their children is of utmost importance. But unfortunately there is a huge gap nowadays for many reasons. Either people are too busy in their jobs to find time for their kids or students come from underprivileged families,'' she said.

It is also difficult for some students to maintain a positive role model when the majority of students are following the ‘negative' styles of entertainment celebrities. “When a student follows a positive role model, he is perceived to be different and susceptible to [bullying],'' she said.

According to Geoff Turner, principal of Jumeirah College, “there are role models to aspire to but I don't think they are promoted as much. Sadly the media is to blame''. He said students should not be underestimated for their ability to get inspired by influential positive role models.

“I find students in the UAE are very inspired by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad for his forward thinking, his visions for Dubai. Ask any of my pupils at Jumeirah College and they would know all about him, he inspires the youth,'' he said.

It can be challenging and at the same time hugely rewarding as teachers and parents have an opportunity to inspire and guide young minds to make these influences positive. “We need to realise that the investment we make in our children today will be reflected in our futures,'' said Brad Gill, teacher at Greenfield Community School.

At the same time, it is important to acknowledge and learn about the great names of “our'' past and recognise the contributions they have made, he said.

The reading culture is almost absent in the lives of youths as they are not getting themselves exposed to great thinkers of the past and present, said a teacher.

“It is difficult to get my students to read a few pages from a book. The influence of negative role models can be easily seen by the way some youths dress up and express themselves. Positive role models, unfortunately, are not perceived as ‘cool' for the youths,'' she said.

Emiratis growing up in a global world

Teachers “have been and always will be'' the best kind of role models that have a considerable amount of influence on young children, said a UAE sociologist.

According to UAE sociologist Dr Rima Sabban, teachers can have a “strong and positive influence'' on children and their socialisation but the positive role they play is not taken advantage of everywhere.

The problem in the UAE, she said, lies with the fact that male Emirati teachers are almost “nonexistent'' in the country's public schools, leaving a vacuum for young Emirati males who could be looking for a role model in a teacher that they can better relate to.

Last year's statistics, obtained from the Ministry of Education, indicate that there are only 165 male Emirati teachers in the country's 310 male public schools – one for every two schools.

“The strong positive role [of a male Emirati teacher] could balance the social impacts of foreign role models represented in the media or through other means of globalisation,'' she said.

Emiratis, she added, were especially vulnerable to globalisation because of the country's demographic realities.
“If Emirati children are not surrounded by social models they can relate to, other models will take over subconsciously,'' she said.

— Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporter