Dubai schools told to focus on pupil happiness

Schools must focus on the happiness of their pupils as well as their academic achievements, say Dubai’s top education chiefs.

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Knowledge and Human Development Authority chairman of the board and director general, speaks at the World Education Summit in Dubai on Sunday. Satish Kumar / The National

DUBAI // Schools must focus on their pupils’ happiness as well as academic achievements, according to the emirate’s top education chiefs.

The well-being of children in the classroom is just as important in selecting a potential school for a growing number of parents as test results, delegates at the World Education Summit heard on Sunday.

“When a child is happy in school they learn better, they have better problem solving skills and they are more creative,” said Abdulla Al Karam, director general of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). “With a happy mindset you can see problems more clearly and our minds are more open to new ideas.”

Mr Al Karam said that ensuring the well-being of children was a positive and would help them to meet the challenges of entering the workplace of the future.

A recent KHDA survey of private schools found that 85 per cent of children felt happy.

“Today we are launching a new survey to find out the happiness level of children,” he said. “We have a good base but we can always do more and do better.”

He highlighted 45 Dubai private schools that had their own urban gardens where children could eat the vegetables they grow.

Such projects engaged pupils beyond normal classroom lessons but also provided a way for them to learn in different ways.

Kalthoom Al Balooshi, KHDA executive director of education development, said the authority was determined to improve standards but that required a more holistic approach.

“We have set challenging goals of being ranked in the top 20 for international benchmark tests,” she said. The education summit concludes on Monday.