A teacher who has worked for 34 years in Dubai has told of how dramatically education has changed over the past three decades.
Celine Ribeiro moved to Dubai to work as a teacher in September 1986.
She had worked as a Grade 1 teacher at Christ Church School in Mumbai, India, for 14 years.
After moving to the Emirates, Ms Ribeiro was offered a job at the Modern High School Dubai – now known as Gems Modern Academy.
She saw portable cabins refurbished to be small classrooms, where teachers gave lessons to pupils each day.
The introduction of technology into classrooms was the biggest change during my time. There is a lot more stress in education now
This week, the 68-year-old will retire after nearly 50 years of service to her profession.
“I taught in Portacabins when I first joined. It was extremely unusual,” said Ms Ribeiro.
“I came from Mumbai where the school was in a concrete building.
“When I moved here, not many people had heard of the UAE. I loved travelling and wanted to roam the world.
“Here, it was cramped but interesting. Just some basic furniture was in place and we had only two teachers and less than 100 pupils at the school.”
Ms Ribeiro said she witnessed the school’s population grow to the current 3,600.
She has been a teacher at the school even after it changed names and campuses.
From a makeshift arrangement, the school finally moved to a campus on Sheikh Zayed Road in 1988, where it stayed for 21 years.
As Gems Modern Academy expanded, the school moved to a bigger campus in Nad Al Sheba in 2009.
“Leaving the campus on Sheikh Zayed Road was heart-wrenching. We had been there for 21 years and it was home,” she said.
Ms Ribeiro said she witnessed the boom of private education in Dubai.
“When we moved to Nad Al Sheba, there was just one other school and soon there were four schools in the cluster,” she said.
“A decade ago, the number of schools increased and we would hear of new schools opening every year.”
Ms Ribeiro taught English, mathematics, social science, science, art and craft to Grade 1 pupils. She then taught Grade 3 and was later promoted as the head of policy and compliance at Gems Modern Academy.
“The introduction of technology into classrooms was the biggest change I saw during my time,” she said.
“There is a lot more stress in education now.
“Now, there are inspections to keep schools on their toes and to ensure they keep up with the times.
“Education has had a paradigm shift. Teachers look at catering to individual learners’ needs.”
Ms Ribeiro said there were only a few private schools in the city when she moved to the UAE. Buses and the Metro did not exist and people commuted through cars or shared taxis.
"There were no buses or Metro and we did not travel around the emirate much," she said.
"Teaching was completely different. Teachers used to be on the stage and children would do group work. Now, teaching is a lot more structured.
"Life in schools was very simple at the time."
Ms Ribeiro said teachers had to be self-reliant as there were no online resources to plan lessons.
After being in the profession for nearly 50 years, she has mentored generations of pupils.
She now plans to go back to her native Mumbai and work for the community.
In the UAE, she has worked with many charitable groups, community drives and relief campaigns for tsunami and earthquake victims.
Nargish Khambatta, principal of the school, said Ms Ribeiro would be missed by the community after teaching pupils for so long.
“A teacher like Celine makes a difference to entire generations. She is always first in school and the last to go home. She is known for this as ‘The Iron Lady of Modern’," said Ms Khambatta.
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
DUBAI SEVENS 2018 DRAW
Gulf Men’s League
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Bahrain, Dubai Sports City Eagles
Pool B – Jebel Ali Dragons, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf Men’s Open
Pool A – Bahrain Firbolgs, Arabian Knights, Yalla Rugby, Muscat
Pool B – Amman Citadel, APB Dubai Sharks, Jebel Ali Dragons 2, Saudi Rugby
Pool C – Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2, Roberts Construction, Dubai Exiles 2
Pool D – Dubai Tigers, UAE Shaheen, Sharjah Wanderers, Amman Citadel 2
Gulf U19 Boys
Pool A – Deira International School, Dubai Hurricanes, British School Al Khubairat, Jumeirah English Speaking School B
Pool B – Dubai English Speaking College 2, Jumeirah College, Dubai College A, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 2
Pool C – Bahrain Colts, Al Yasmina School, DESC, DC B
Pool D – Al Ain Amblers, Repton Royals, Dubai Exiles, Gems World Academy Dubai
Pool E – JESS A, Abu Dhabi Sharks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins 1, EC
Gulf Women
Pool A – Kuwait Scorpions, Black Ruggers, Dubai Sports City Eagles, Dubai Hurricanes 2
Pool B – Emirates Firebirds, Sharjah Wanderers, RAK Rides, Beirut Aconites
Pool C – Dubai Hurricanes, Emirates Firebirds 2, Abu Dhabi Saracens, Transforma Panthers
Pool D – AUC Wolves, Dubai Hawks, Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Al Ain Amblers
Gulf U19 Girls
Pool A – Dubai Exiles, BSAK, DESC, Al Maha
Pool B – Arabian Knights, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
