As the long summer break comes to an end on Sunday, roads will be clogged up again as children return to their schools. They will greet old friends and make new ones, while the lives of many families will return to at least some semblance of a routine. The question is what kind of school system are the children going back to? And what should we wish for in the academic year ahead?
Judging from the developments over the past few weeks, it would be reasonable to believe that the country has made strides in the right direction. The results of GCSEs and A Levels suggest there is much to be pleased about, with many pupils outperforming those in the UK.
Abu Dhabi Education Council has ensured that educators have received specialised curriculum training to help them deliver effective pedagogy and assessment techniques. Last week, the council announced that schools would start including moral education as a subject in their curriculum from the next academic year. The initiative comes from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
As we mentioned earlier, lessons focusing on the promotion of ethics, personal and community growth, culture and heritage, civic education and rights and responsibilities will go a long way in raising our future leaders, as they could inspire pupils to think clearly about their own values and compare them to universal ones. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed, Deputy Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has tweeted about the development of a national programme for happiness that will have a positive effect on pupils.
We hope that these moves benefit every educational institution, including those that have previously been rated poorly and have struggled to improve. We also hope that this year there is increased cooperation between pupils, teachers, administrators and parents. This is crucial, because the ultimate success of an education system depends on all four parties working for each other.
