Adec to offer after-school lessons for public school pupils

Abu Dhabi: Public school pupils looking to improve their academic performance in the emirate of Abu Dhabi can now register for official after-school classes, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) announced in a statement sent today (October 6).

The lessons are available on a voluntary basis for low-performing pupils in Grades 8 to 12, and will also be offered to high performers in Grades 11 and 12 who wish to excel in their final assessments.

In a statement sent to Gulf News, the Adec said classes for English, maths and science will be conducted thrice a week. Each class can accommodate between eight and 12 pupils.

Mohammad Al Dhaheri, executive director of school operations at the Adec, said that the authority is offering the programme in a bid to elevate the level of education to international standards.

“We are offering extra mentoring to those who require further assistance from some of the most qualified teachers in our schools. On the other hand, high-performing pupils may also benefit from [such] specialised attention,” he added.

Teaching quality at the emirate’s 256 public schools has often been questioned by parents, and many children eventually enrol for paid private tutoring to perform better in school. Despite this, and authorities efforts’ to enhance overall performance, nearly 80 per cent of pupils applying to federal universities still have to undergo a foundation year to prepare them for university education.

To tackle this, the Adec conducted a pilot programme at two schools in 2014 to test the efficacy of additional lessons in improving pupils’ academic achievement, as reported by Gulf News in March 2015. The initiative found that pupils’ scores improved by five to eight per cent. Following this, 31 schools offered lessons after regular hours during the 2014-2015 academic year.

This year, teachers who have scored more than 91 per cent on an Adec assessment, and who are evaluated highly by education advisers, have been selected to conduct the after-school lessons. The sessions will be organised at 48 centres, and pupils from 130 schools are expected to sign up. They can do so by October 8 via the Adec’s website.

The Adec will also provide bus transport for pupils, the statement added.