New teachers ‘make us proud’

Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, director general of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, praises new staff for their loyalty. Christopher Pike / The National

ABU DHABI // Five hundred new Emirati and Arab public school teachers and administrators were welcomed into their roles by Adec director general Dr Amal Al Qubaisi on Sunday.

“I greet you and welcome you to our family – a family that is motivational and determined to make a difference,” said Dr Al Qubaisi. “We are very proud of you each and every single day that you are part of our family. You will carry a huge responsibility.”

The 410 Emirati and 90 Arab expatriate recruits spent their first day as Adec staff at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr hotel for an orientation session.

Calling the new teachers and administrators “an inspiration” for choosing a career in education, Dr Al Qubaisi said they now had the task of helping to preserve the Arabic language and promote national heritage and culture among the country’s younger generation.

“The fact that you have agreed to enter such a profession shows how loyal you are, which is as per our respected leaders’ aspirations, to have loyal teachers,” said Dr Al Qubaisi.

“We are very careful in Adec to protect highly regarded professional, qualified teachers. You’ll not only help enhance heritage, culture and national identity, but you’ll also help fortify young minds with education to develop their personality.”

Dr Al Qubaisi, herself a former university teacher, offered the new teachers advice.

“This profession is not easy,” she said, noting changes in technology that have affected teaching methods.

“The more challenging it gets, the more you give because in the end the result is in front of us – a boy or a girl, a child or a daughter – who we will be proud of.”

Emiratis now make up about 52 per cent of the teaching workforce in the emirate’s public schools, which Adec said is a 5 per cent increase from last year.

Among the school leadership, about 81 per cent are Emirati. In all, 7,429 Emirati and about 6,811 expatriate Arab and western teachers will work in public schools this academic year.

Of the 410 new Emirati recruits, 34 are men. “Compared to the other numbers previously, this is a big, big jump in our accomplishment,” said Dr Al Qubaisi. “But, of course, we will always be eager to accomplish more, but 400 that will be added to the 7,000-plus now. It’s a great achievement and we are also willing to encourage more Emiratis to join the education field.”

English medium teachers, who are native English speakers recruited by Adec to teach subjects such as maths and science in public schools, met with Dr Al Qubaisi last week. The first group of new English medium teachers, about 490, arrived in the first week of August.

Another 88 arrived at the weekend and the remaining 225 new western expats will arrive as their paperwork is processed.

Nora Al Nahdi, 22, a nursery teacher, said she was inspired by Dr Al Qubaisi’s speech and the fact the director general was once a teacher.

“I was very impressed that she also was a teacher and she said we are building a generation and we are very excited,” said Ms Al Nahdi, an Emirati who will work in one of the newly built schools in Al Falah.

Wafa Al Hashimi, a 24-year-old nursery Arabic and Islamic studies teacher, said she was looking forward to meeting her pupils.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I love children, so I love to work with them, play with them and increase their knowledge,” she said.