'Teachers, teachers, teachers': UAE education ministers set out public school reform plan

Core subjects will be taught in English and there will be a renewed focus on maths and science

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Future Technology, says the ultimate aim is for the new educational changes to benefit every pupil in public schools across the country. All photos: UAE Government Media Office

Ms Al Amiri and Ahmed Al Falasi, Minister of Education, at a media briefing on Tuesday.

Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education, says a unified regulatory framework will be applied to more than 600 nurseries, all kindergartens and preschools at public and private schools in the UAE.

Major changes in government-run schools will take effect in September 2022.

The UAE's new education ministers have set out a plan to overhaul government-run schools, with investment in teachers and far more parental involvement in how children are taught.

There will be a renewed focus on maths and science taught in English from a young age, ministers said at a media briefing in Dubai.

Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Future Technology, said the ultimate aim is that the changes benefit every pupil in public schools across the country.

“We have three main priorities," she said.

"Firstly, our priority is to ensure the learning outcome of every public school pupil at every level.

"Secondly, it's the teachers, teachers, teachers. They are the foundation to build a good education system and are needed at all levels.

If you are teaching subjects such as maths and sciences in English, then you are increasing their exposure to English

Ahmad Al Falasi,
the Minister of Education

"And, thirdly, it is the leadership team that supports teachers and pupils. They can ensure the proposed changes will be carried out effectively."

Public schools are primarily for UAE citizens but they also accept some children of residents.

A trained scientist, Ms Al Amiri is the chairwoman of the board of directors of the Emirates Schools Establishment, which runs publicly owned schools.

“This generation will face many challenges whether at school or during their professional life and we need to support them not just by equipping them with knowledge but also with the right tools and innovative thinking," she said.

"They need support to keep abreast with the current changes."

Last week, the government said 10 schools would be taken over by private operators.

Ajyal Schools, or Generation Schools, will be operated by leading private sector education groups Taaleem, Aldar Education and Bloom Education, and serve about 14,000 pupils nationwide.

All 10 schools will be in the Northern Emirates and will switch to the American curriculum.

Within three years, 28 schools will be run under this public-private partnership.

New model of government schools - in pictures

Generation Schools is the latest public-private partnership of its kind. Last year, two fee-paying schools under the brand 'Dubai Schools' opened in a deal between Dubai's government and private operator Taaleem. Photo: Taaleem

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, visits the Dubai Schools branch in Al Barsha in 2021. Photo: Sheikh Hamdan Instagram

Unlike the Generation Schools, the Dubai Schools branches are fee-paying. Photo: Taaleem

Sheikh Hamdan said the schools are good example of innovative education systems that follow the leadership's vision of the future.

Run by private-sector operator Taleem, the schools follow the American curriculum but focus on Arabic literacy, science and technology, the UAE’s culture and Islamic studies.

“Like any educational system around the world, we don’t have one educational system or one school model or one method of teaching for the entire country," Ms Al Amiri said.

"At the end of the day, it has to be a system that matches the current requirements, the pupils' learning capacity, aspirations, and outcomes."

At the Generation Schools, "the same curriculum will be taught, the same learning outcomes will be required but it will be delivered in innovative and different ways according to current trends and needs,” she said.

Core subjects will also be taught in English at an early stage for the first time.

“The curriculum is there but the biggest challenge was the teachers and there was also the question of the medium of teaching," Ahmad Al Falasi, the Minister of Education, told The National.

"If you are teaching subjects such as maths and sciences in English, then you are increasing their exposure to English.”

He said these subjects were taught in Arabic when the children were young and English was introduced at a later stage.

“The current stage requires serious work in order to strengthen and enhance the education in the UAE," he said.

"Our aim is to achieve radical transformations in line with the future national strategies and plans.

"We are keen to form a clear vision about the present and the future of education, and link it to the Sustainable Development Goals to ensure we have qualified pupils."

The new structure is led by the Education and Human Resources Council, Federal Authority for Quality of Education, the Ministry of Education, the Federal Authority for Early Childhood Education, the Emirates Schools Establishment, in addition to the local education authorities in each emirate.

“We are committed to re-evaluating the quality of services, and providing a system that achieves rapid response, and best levels of achievement,” said Mr Al Falasi.

Parents will also be encouraged to take an active role in their child’s education.

Ms Al Amiri said that they were studying a “mechanism” that allows parents to be directly involved in their children's progress at school.

“Besides teachers, we also want parents to be involved in the decision-making process," she said.

"At the Ajyal Schools, all the parties involved are partners in the educational process. The pupil is a partner and the parents are strategic partners. The role of a parent is crucial, particularly in the early years."

A unified framework will also be applied to government kindergartens and preschools.

Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education and chairwoman of the Federal Authority for Early Education, said: “While working on a new generation of learners, we need to lay the supporting foundations to empower pupils in their education journey, from the early years.

“We will co-ordinate with all concerned authorities to prepare a unified regulatory framework, which will be applied to more than 600 nurseries, all kindergartens and preschools of public and private schools in the UAE.”

These are Dubai's 17 top ranked private schools: in pictures

Dubai English Speaking School (Dess), one of the oldest schools in the country, was established in 1963 in a room of a residential villa in Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National

Located in Barsha South, Gems Dubai American Academy focuses on celebrating diversity, resilience, creativity and driving positive change. Reem Mohammed / The National

The Jumeirah English Speaking School at Arabian Ranches. The non-profit school was started in an apartment in Deira in 1975 with only 17 pupils. Stephen Lock / The National

Dubai College in Al Sufouh is one of the oldest in the city and often touted as one of the best in the emirate. Pawan Singh / The National

Gems Modern Academy, located in Nad Al Sheba 3, was founded in 1986 and is the only Indian curriculum school in Dubai to be ranked as outstanding by the KHDA. Victor Besa / The National

Located in Emirates Hills, Dubai British School has 1,171 pupils and is sought after by families. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Horizons English school, situated in Dubai’s Al Wasl area, caters to foundation stage one to Year 6, with almost 1,000 pupils enrolled. Photo: Horizons English School

Kings School Barsha is a relatively new school, opening in September 2014, and has managed to achieve a DSIB score of 'outstanding' in its last two inspections. Satish Kumar / The National

Located in Umm Suqeim, close to Burj Al Arab, Kings School Dubai offers primary education for children aged 3 to 11. Photo: Kings School

Gems Wellington International School in Al Sufouh offers both the UK curriculum and the International Baccalaureate programme. Antonie Robertson / The National

The Repton School located in Nad El Sheba is one of three branches in the UAE. Photo: Repton Dubai

Gems Jumeirah Primary School in Jumeirah 3 is one of the most sought-after primary schools in the emirate and has been rated 'outstanding' since 2010 by the KHDA. Photo: Jumeirah Primary School

Jumeirah College, a UK curriculum school located in Al Safa 1, has 1,125 pupils from 59 countries. Photo: Jumeirah College

Pupils at Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou have a consistently outstanding performance in mathematics across all ages, DSIB's latest quality indicators report showed. Pawan Singh / The National

Jumeirah English Speaking School at Al Safa 1 has a little more than 2,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai English Speaking College at Academic City was established with the aim of providing quality British education for pupils up to the age of 18 and preparing them for entry into university. Pawan Singh / The National

Victory Heights Primary School, located in the heart of the Sports City community opened in 2012. Teaching the British curriculum, it has just under 1,000 pupils. Pawan Singh / The National

The Nord Anglia International School Dubai, located in Al Barsha 3, teaches pupils from early years up to Year 13. Photo: Nord Anglia International School Dubai

Dubai International Academy opened in Emirates Hills in 2005. It has more than 2,600 pupils, ranging in ages from 3 to 18. Reem Mohammed / The National

Deira International School, in Al Badia, Festival City, has just over 1,800 pupils enrolled, ranging in age from 3 to 18. Photo: Deira International School