31 Abu Dhabi public schools to offer after-school programmes

ABU DHABI // Pupils in 31 public schools will benefit from a new after-school programme introduced by the Abu Dhabi Education Council that is meant to improve their skills and end the need for at-home private tutoring.

Starting this month, pupils in grades 8 to 12 in various schools will be offered the chance to join small after-school group tutoring in core subjects such as Arabic, biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics and science. Each class will be offered once a week for two hours and pupils can choose up to three subjects per term.

Adec decided to expand the programme after implementing a successful five-week after-school pilot project in two schools last May involving 130 pupils in grades 10 and 12.

The girls who took part improved their English grades by 8 per cent and their maths grade by 5 per cent. Boys raised both their English and maths grades by 3 per cent.

“This was a five-week pilot programme and we expect results to be much higher when the programme is taking place throughout a complete term or year,” Adec said.

The after-school classes are being taught by Adec teachers who have scored higher than 91 per cent in their evaluations. Adec will provide transport for students.

The programme also aims to discourage private tutoring by offering pupils the best support at a school-based level, while improving the overall performance of all.

“The tutoring done at home is not controlled in terms of quality of teaching, and the After School Support Programme promotes a safe environment for learning taking place within school premises. This is in addition to providing quality assurance through Adec’s top performing teachers directed at supporting students that need improvement to ensure that learning outcomes in specific subjects are achieved,” Adec said.

International studies have shown after-school programmes enhance children’s academic achievements, and also support social development and relationships with adults and peers, Adec said.

Core subjects offered have been selected to help cater to future market needs. Mathematics, science and languages promote modern skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and communication.

Adec plans to broaden subject offerings based on pupil feedback, and include Cycle 1 and more grades from Cycle 2.