The SchoolsCompared.com Interview. ‘Bob Dylan, The Future of Education and Not Trading Away Kindness for Cynicism.’ Dr Saima Rana On The Record.
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“On Dubai…”
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SchoolsCompared.com: Dubai is an amazing place because it makes “thinking big” something to be celebrated. Dreams are embraced not shot down. Do you think this is a fair characterisation…. How does this translate in schools….
Dr Saima Rana, CEO/Principal, GEMS World Academy; Chief Education Officer, GEMS Education; and, Chief Education Ambassador, The Varkey Foundation:
Dubai is safe, a global icon, futuristic – look at that skyline with its amazing science fiction architecture, its sun-soaked designer beaches, its remarkable education landscape, its incredible superhighways – it’s tech savvy, it’s ambitious and change-addicted. There’s money and families and an entrepreneurial spirit that speaks of hope – hope that we can transform the world to be a better place for humans – for everyone. It actively encourages us to be innovative, to think outside the box, to hunger for the best, to make things happen. The rulers, the government, its schools, its businesses, its whole approach is about trying out the new, of inventing better ways of thinking, living and it’s such an exciting place. The world is looking at us as a beacon of excellence and possibilities and as a school leader here in Dubai it’s just impossible not to be caught up in this positivity. We really do think we can innovate education, schools, find new possibilities. We generate expectations that are sky high in all our staff and all our students and their families and find that there are no artificial bureaucratic barriers to experiment and innovate so that our students get the best education can offer. From all our leaders this message of hope and creative positivity oozes out and our schools reflect this approach and attitude. Schools are very much in tune with the Dubai vibe – when you drive around schools are as prominent as the wildly modern architecture – and this is reflected in the number of teachers wanting to work here and the number of families coming to Dubai to benefit from what we’re doing.
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Thank you Dr Saima Rana
I enjoyed your interview and focus on the empowerment of girls in all fields of education, from the Sciences to the Arts.
You had already laid the foundations of your work in the UAE with your vision of enriching the rights of every child to a fair education in the United Kingdom. I saw first hand how you brought out the full potential of students at Westminster Academy in London, with your hand picked team of staff leaders and the ways you provided countless students with opportunities to study at top universities.
Today, as a result, my daughter is using all her skills, talents and knowledge – these flowing from the support you and your team empowered her with during her time at Westminster Academy.
As she continues her studies at Oxford University, I would like to think that she is representing your vision of equality and fairness of opportunity in education for every child.