English course gives students a stepping stone to university

Students who failed to meet university English competency requirements get another chance after passing an intensive yearlong course.

Hundreds of students who failed to meet university English competency requirements have been given another chance after passing an intensive yearlong course. The 526 students have just completed the programme offered by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and will begin their university and vocational training courses in September. "The foundation programme is a stepping stone for these students," Dr Mugheer Khamis al Khaili, the director general of Adec, said in a statement. "It is a second chance for them."

To be admitted to a government university, pupils must pass the Common Educational Proficiency Assessment (Cepa) English exam, which students take when they leave school. This year, 74 per cent of the pupils who took the test scored 150 or more, the figure required to enrol at a government university. But only 1,746 applicants, or 11 per cent, scored the 180 needed to begin their degree without additional English training.

While English is the medium of instruction in government universities, Arabic is used in public schools. As a result, many pupils need additional language training before they can do university level course work in English. The Adec foundation year was started to help students who scored below 150 on their English school leaving exams. The programme is managed by five private organisations, the CfBT, Nord Anglica, SABIS, ADU and the British Council.

Over the course of the year, students completed 700 hours of instruction in English and IT. They were required to take a Cepa exam midway through the programme and an International English Language Testing System exam at the end of the course. @Email:[e-mail]