INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
THE UAE:
proactive initiatives in positive education
Fiona Thomas examines how education in the UAE continues to move away from the structured, traditional learning approach and leans more towards the development of the wellbeing of all involved in the field, including students, teachers and principals. She reports back from GESS Dubai 2019.
E
ach Emirate has a structured education policy based on the UAE Federal Government education policies. Perhaps the best known is Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). The KHDA is
responsible for implementing top international educational practices in Dubai. Its intelligent reporting of every international private school provides details of the effectiveness of the school’s educational parameter. Instrumental in progressing Dubai’s excellent education sector towards a knowledge-based economy and schools offering high levels of quality education based on the various international curricula, school choices are now a matter of transparent research, most of which is carried out by the KHDA.
WELL-BEING OF STUDENTS Of importance is the well-being of students leading ‘to students flourishing at school and in life’. The KHDA’s second happiness census (2018) measured social and emotional well-being, relationships, engagement and learning, physical health, lifestyle and after-school activities. A total of 181 schools took part in the census and, overall, 92 per cent of students felt confident about their schoolwork and 81 per cent felt happy. These statistics are impressive and show that the 170 different nationalities attending schools in Dubai are working together effectively. 2019 is the UAE Year of Tolerance and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and ruler of Dubai tweeted,
GESS Dubai 2019
“Tolerance is the cornerstone of advanced societies, intellectually and humanely, and is one of the tools of empowering civilisations and ensuring stability and the flourishing of nations.” Diversity and tolerance are promoted in schools and, in the 2018
happiness census, 83 per cent of students believed that teachers and students treated each other with respect in their school and the same percentage believed that people cared about each other in their school. Marco Longmore questioned whether kindness was worthy of ‘examination’. The headmaster at Dubai’s Brighton College spoke enthusiastically about this personality trait and the development of kindness in students. Bearing in mind the various issues that affect students who are moving within international schools, uprooted from family members as well as close friends, kindness is a trait from which everyone would benefit.
THE BENEFITS OF KINDNESS FOR ALL The KHDA recognises the benefits of being kind, not only to others but also to oneself, and is developing international best practices in health and well-being for the education community. Zen Kahn, CEO of Education 1st Recruitment and Consultancy, is excited by, “the fact that, to obtain a teacher’s permit in Dubai, all principals and teachers are required to attend a KHDA well-being course; this is to ensure the individual health and general wellbeing of all.” Principals very often absorb the stress from teachers, so helping principals to develop techniques towards promoting health and
➲
RELOCATEGLOBAL.COM | 49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
