• The so-called 'Silvesterchlausen' (New Years Clause) are on their way to offer the best wishes for the New Year (following the Julian calendar) to the farmers in this region, in Hundwil, Switzerland, 13 January 2024. EPA / GAETAN BALLY
    The so-called 'Silvesterchlausen' (New Years Clause) are on their way to offer the best wishes for the New Year (following the Julian calendar) to the farmers in this region, in Hundwil, Switzerland, 13 January 2024. EPA / GAETAN BALLY
  • Hindu pilgrims dry their clothes after taking a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal during the Gangasagar Mela ahead of the Makar Sankranti, at Sagar Island, about 150km south of Kolkata, India. AFP
    Hindu pilgrims dry their clothes after taking a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges and the Bay of Bengal during the Gangasagar Mela ahead of the Makar Sankranti, at Sagar Island, about 150km south of Kolkata, India. AFP
  • A dog sits on a scooter as its owner buys food from a vendor in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. AP Photo
    A dog sits on a scooter as its owner buys food from a vendor in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. AP Photo
  • Smoke billows into the sky from a huge blaze at the warehouse of online retailer Wildberries in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Reuters
    Smoke billows into the sky from a huge blaze at the warehouse of online retailer Wildberries in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Reuters
  • A worker braves near-zero temperatures and snow to spray de-icer on a United Airlines jet at Kansas City International Airport, in the US. AP Photo
    A worker braves near-zero temperatures and snow to spray de-icer on a United Airlines jet at Kansas City International Airport, in the US. AP Photo
  • A man feeds doves on a beach on Pingtan Island, the closest point in China to Taiwan’s main island, on the day of Taiwan’s presidential election. AFP
    A man feeds doves on a beach on Pingtan Island, the closest point in China to Taiwan’s main island, on the day of Taiwan’s presidential election. AFP
  • Shiite Muslim worshippers gather at the holy shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq. AP Photo
    Shiite Muslim worshippers gather at the holy shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, Iraq. AP Photo
  • The opening ceremony before the AFC Asian Cup match between Qatar and Lebanon at Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar. Getty Images
    The opening ceremony before the AFC Asian Cup match between Qatar and Lebanon at Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, Qatar. Getty Images
  • The 'quiet' supersonic X-59 aircraft is unveiled at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, US. Bloomberg
    The 'quiet' supersonic X-59 aircraft is unveiled at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, California, US. Bloomberg

World

Today's best photos: From Swiss New Year to a new supersonic jet

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

The National

January 13, 2024

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Friday's best photos: From security personnel in Kabul to students in Taiwan

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Wednesday's best photos: From Iraq's Police Day to a rehearsal at Sydney Opera House

Tuesday's best photos: From a procession in Manila to a rally in Saudi Arabia

Monday's best photos: From a lunar mission to construction work in Hanoi

Education reform in Abu Dhabi

 

The emirate’s public education system has been in a constant state of change since the New School Model was launched in 2010 by the Abu Dhabi Education Council. The NSM, which is also known as the Abu Dhabi School Model, transformed the public school curriculum by introducing bilingual education starting with students from grades one to five. Under this new curriculum, the children spend half the day learning in Arabic and half in English – being taught maths, science and English language by mostly Western educated, native English speakers. The NSM curriculum also moved away from rote learning and required teachers to develop a “child-centered learning environment” that promoted critical thinking and independent learning. The NSM expanded by one grade each year and by the 2017-2018 academic year, it will have reached the high school level. Major reforms to the high school curriculum were announced in 2015. The two-stream curriculum, which allowed pupils to elect to follow a science or humanities course of study, was eliminated. In its place was a singular curriculum in which stem -- science, technology, engineering and maths – accounted for at least 50 per cent of all subjects. In 2016, Adec announced additional changes, including the introduction of two levels of maths and physics – advanced or general – to pupils in Grade 10, and a new core subject, career guidance, for grades 10 to 12; and a digital technology and innovation course for Grade 9. Next year, the focus will be on launching a new moral education subject to teach pupils from grades 1 to 9 character and morality, civic studies, cultural studies and the individual and the community.

Explained
Updated: January 13, 2024, 1:17 PM