The lack of awareness among expatriate teachers about Emirati culture has been a cause for concern for many parents. Some teachers come to the UAE without having a basic understanding of the values and beliefs that shape our society or the laws and regulations that govern us. This has led to some experts calling for pre-service training programmes to educate new teachers.
As The National reported yesterday, education consultant Judith Finnemore said there was a "culture of ignorance" among some expatriates, including teachers employed to educate Emirati children. The Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and some public schools have already identified the problem and started raising awareness by hosting training sessions, but there is much more to be done to integrate foreign teachers into the general fabric of society.
The process will not be easy, especially in the private sector. The UAE is home to more than 200 nationalities and our schools teach 16 different curricula. This environment provides many challenges, but it is essential to equip all teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to understand not just their Emirati students and their families but the country in which they are living. Pre-service sensitivity training will give them an idea of what to expect in the classroom and in social or public situations, what to encourage or discourage among students, and what to avoid doing or saying. Such a scheme could have avoided the incident in Sharjah this year when a western teacher was dismissed from a private school for showing a culturally insensitive film to his students.
Many expatriate teachers are often young and, when they arrive in this country, it is tempting for them to immerse themselves completely in a cocoon of familiarity. They live among and socialise only with other expatriates, and they often fail to even attempt to understand the broader cultural and social environment that they are in.
Cultural awareness can be the key to classroom engagement. It can build positive relationships with students, making the job easier. Some children won’t try to learn if they think the teacher doesn’t care about them or their culture. If individual teachers don’t make the effort to familiarise themselves, then schools and Adec should facilitate the process.
