Netflix and Helicopter Parents, Cryptocurrency in Dubai, Durham School, Dubai school fees and Ramadan through the eyes of Parents: Tabitha Barda’s The Schools Report presents The Biggest News Stories in Education this Week
The Schools Report brings you the SchoolsCompared.com official Weekly Briefing on the Hottest News in Education.
Every Friday we bring you the latest stories in education in the UAE and around the world in the last 7 days. Here’s what’s been happening this week…
This Week in Education. UAE Education News. First. Every Friday. Only from SchoolsCompared.com.
Hundreds of Abu Dhabi pupils back in the classroom for first time in two years
Thousands of pupils at Abu Dhabi’s private and charter schools were back in the classroom this week, with hundreds experiencing face-to-face lessons for the first time in two years.
Excluding those with medical exemptions, pupils are no longer allowed to opt for distance learning in the emirate and must attend classes in person.
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) informed schools and parents over the spring break that all distance learning would come to an end, except for those with exemptions. The authority also announced a spate of changes in a circular before the final term of the school year began.
Dr Beno Kurien, principal at International Indian School Abu Dhabi said close to 500 pupils of the 1,000 enrolled at his school had returned to in-person lessons for the first time in two years this week.
“The majority, around 60 per cent of pupils, had been completely out of school for the past two years. Today is the first day they’re back,” said Dr Kurien.
Read more. Hundreds of Abu Dhabi pupils back in the classroom for first time in two years (thenationalnews.com)
Remote learning on Fridays for some students during Ramadan
The Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE) has modified timings for public schools in the UAE during Ramadan, with remote learning allowed on Fridays, report the Khaleej Times.
In circular issued to schools on Thursday, the ESE said from Monday to Thursday, pupils will attend in-class learning with teachers and administrative staff present at school. On Fridays, pupils will be studying remotely from home during the remaining period of Ramadan.
The total number of weekly school hours for teachers and administrative staff will be 25 hours for all class sessions with five and-a-half hours of work per day from Monday to Thursday (9am to 2.30pm) or from (8am to 1.30pm), depending on the approval of the employee’s direct manager. On Fridays, the school hours will be three (9am to 12pm) or from 8am to 11am as may be approved by the direct manager.
SchoolsCompared gets an Exclusive First Look at Durham School Dubai
The SchoolsCompared team got a sneak peek at the site of the exciting new Durham School Dubai – the UAE branch of the famous and historic Durham School in the UK, whose legacy goes back 600 years and whose alumni features some of the most important UK politicians, poets and professional sports players. The campus is really taking shape and will easily be ready to welcome children from FS1 to year 8 when it opens in DIP this August! We loved the bright and airy corridors, the beautiful arts and music suite, and the kind and down-to-earth vibe of Founding Principal, Mark Atkins. We were lucky enough to be able to interview Mr Atkins after our tour, where we learnt all about his passion for shaping a truly happy school culture grounded on traditional British values, and raising well-rounded and confident, but also self-aware and compassionate, young people, who are inspired to reach their full academic and social potential. Watch out for our full review coming to the website soon, see all the pictures from our visit, or find out more.
UAE: 9 universities monitored for low ratings, prevented from accepting new students
Nine universities in the UAE are currently being monitored by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and prevented from accepting new students and introducing new programmes.
The authorities are keeping a close watch on the institutions after they were rated as ‘low’ in the new evaluation system and committed other fundamental violations of academic accreditation standards.
According to Dr Muhammad Youssef Baniyas, Advisor to the Ministry of Education (MoE) and Director of the Academic Accreditation Commission said at least 15 other universities in the country have been shut down in the past three years due to poor performance and for not meeting the required standards.
Based on the evaluation of higher education institutions and their programs within the country, the official noted that seven universities obtained high ratings according to the new assessment.
The seven universities include five national universities, namely Khalifa University, UAE University, Sharjah University, American University of Sharjah, Mohammed bin Rashid University for Medicine, and Health Sciences, and two international universities including NYU-Abu Dhabi and Birmingham University Dubai.
According to the official, 40 universities in the UAE were rated ‘medium’.
“Since its establishment in the academic year 2019 till now, the evaluation system has resulted in the closure of 15 universities. Three of these universities requested to be closed voluntarily and to revoke their licenses, as they were unable to meet the standards and requirements for evaluation,” Dr Baniyas said in a report published by Emarat Al Youm newspaper.
“The other 12 universities were closed by the Academic Accreditation Commission due to significant poor performance, violation of standards, and low ratings.”
The official indicated that previously the accredited universities were evaluated at two levels: “Accredited” and “unaccredited”, and it was not among the criteria for determining weak, medium, and high performing universities.
Bangs for the Buck. First official Dubai School Fees Fact Sheet now live. Revealed: the true cost of an education – and what school fees actually buy.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority’s (KHDA) new School Fees Fact Sheets have started going live on the KHDA website for the first time since they were announced last week. This ground-breaking move towards greater transparency in school fees gives parents a breakup detailing all the fees – including “hidden” extra fees or optional fees – a school may charge from them during an academic year.
The Dubai schools regulator has said the School Fees Fact Sheet will provide parents of private school students, with comprehensive and reliable information.
The service is live now for schools that start their academic year in April and will be available soon for schools that start their year in September
Every private school must now have a School Fees Fact Sheet and make it available to parents prior to the start of the 2022/23 academic year.
See an example of a live Dubai School Fees Factsheet.
Is Old Enough the antidote to helicopter parenting – or the most sadistic reality TV show ever made? You decide…
Little Hiroki is two years and nine months old and is on a trip to the supermarket. On his own.
He has a busy road to cross and his mother checks he knows what to do if he sees a car coming: he instantly waves a small yellow flag which will, hopefully, help a driver see him.
‘He’s definitely responsive,’ says the narrator of the reality show Old Enough with approval.
But will it be enough? Will the toddler safely negotiate the road? Will he come back with all the items he’s been asked to buy?
Indeed, will he come back at all?
Hiroki is one of the stars of a Japanese TV series that has provided Netflix with its latest, unlikeliest hit.
But British child psychologist Alison McClymont called the series ‘exploitative and dangerous’, warning that a small child could be traumatised by ‘being forced into survival mode’.
And yet we are bombarded by evidence — both anecdotal and in studies — that modern children could benefit immeasurably from a little more time spent, if not in ‘survival mode’, at least in ‘moderate self-reliance mode’.
50-80% off books at Big Bad Wolf Book Sale, now open in Dubai
The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale, the world’s biggest book sale featuring 50-80% off books for all ages, is now open in Dubai Studio City. Running from 14 – 24 April, the 11-day event is displaying more than one million books at slashed-down prices, making it the perfect place for parents to pick up storybooks, guides, textbooks and novels for their children or themselves. Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and Member of Dubai Council, today inaugurated the third edition of the world’s biggest book sale.
Her Highness stressed the important role played by the major cultural event in reinforcing Dubai’s position as a preferred destination for culture and knowledge enthusiasts, a beacon of cultural diversity, and a centre for creativity and cultural dialogue. Big Bad Wolf Books aligns with many of Dubai Culture’s sectoral priorities, including making culture accessible to everyone and promoting reading, Sheikha Latifa said.
Her Highness added: “His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has always sought to spread a culture of reading in the community, making it an indispensable daily habit and instilling a passion for it, especially among future generations.
Big Bad Wolf Books is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. and admission is free for everyone. The exhibition features discounts on books ranging from 50% – 80% off recommended retail prices.
“Events like Autism Awareness Day do more harm than good”
April is the month of Autism Awareness, but Autism Awareness Month – just like World Down Syndrome Day and other well-meaning initiatives – is not actually furthering the cause of true inclusion and integration, argues Mark Ellis, Head of Inclusion at GEMS FirstPoint School – The Villa, in a though-provoking opinion piece. “In many ways, I fear that such initiatives may actually do more harm than good,” he says. By compartmentalising the issue to one specific month or day, we are reinforcing the idea that this is something we need not be concerned about for the rest of the time. “We’ve bought the ribbon, we’ve worn the t-shirt, we can give ourselves a reassuring metaphorical pat on the back and feel like we have ‘done our bit’. Then we move on to the next thing and, year on year, it is this idea that is promoted and embedded, while the mission of true inclusion is pushed back a little.” Mark often finds himself explaining to parents with children newly diagnosed with autism or another condition: “Our school needs your child far more than you need us.” This is because true inclusion is not about that child with additional needs; it’s about the positive impact that the child will have on everyone they meet across the entire school community.
Cryptocurrency now accepted at major new Dubai school
UAE parents can now choose to use cryptocurrencies to pay for school fees at brand-new Chatsworth Schools-backed Citizens School Dubai, the first educational institution in the Middle East to embrace digital currencies from opening. Set to open at the beginning of the next academic year in August 2022, Citizens School Dubai will accept payments from the two major cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), these in addition to more traditional forms of payments and interest-free monthly payment options on offer. Payments using cryptocurrencies are being accepted through a third-party tie up with a digital currency platform that securely processes cryptocurrency payments and automatically converts them to Dirhams (AED). Both parents and the school are fully protected in the process. Read more.
Ramadan in Schools: The Guide 2022. What every UAE parent needs to know
As we approach the middle of Ramadan in the UAE, it might have struck you that this year’s holy month feels a little different to ones in years gone by. Newly relaxed rules about the serving of food and drink in public in Dubai during fasting hours mean that cafes and restaurants that once would have been shuttered up or curtained off during the day may now stay open. This year’s Ramadan also falls during peak tourist season, when many schools around the world are still on Spring Break, and eased COVID protocols means visitor numbers are once again on the up.
But Ramadan remains an extremely important month and the holiest time of year for Muslims; one steeped in prayer, reflection, fasting and certain expectations that those who are new to the country or unfamiliar with the UAE’s Islamic traditions may struggle to understand or navigate at first.
We spoke to schools, parents and pupils in the UAE to ask them what makes Ramadan so special, how they mark it in their community – and what non-Muslims can do to be sensitive to the importance of this holy period. Read more.
SchoolsCompared has a sneak peak at brand new progressive Citizens School Dubai
The SchoolsCompared team got a fascinating First Look at the exciting new Citizens School, which is currently being built in the City Walk area and is due to open in September 2022.
We met the Founding Executive Principal, Tracy Moxley, and Head of Primary, Kephren Sherry, and heard impressive presentations from Citizens School Chairman Dr Adil Alzarooni and Blenheim Schools Founder and CEO Anita Gleave, who gave us the lowdown on Citizens’ ambitious vision for a progressive and truly unique new school.
As part of a partnership between Blenheim Schools (part of the UK’s Chatsworth Schools family) and Education Ventures Company (a subsidiary of Al Zarooni Emirates Investments), it will use the UK National Curriculum as its standard, but have a custom-built and innovative system of education – known as the Citizens’ Tapestry – woven through it.
This is an inspiring and dynamic new school that claims it won’t have “classrooms” or “teachers” in the traditional sense, and that its school day will look very different to anything UAE parents have seen before… Intrigued to find out more? Watch this space for our review, or read more now.
Schools in England need more resources to address dangers of adult material, teachers say
Teachers in England say they need more time, training and resources to tackle the dangers of adult images in schools, against a backdrop of increasing incidents of pupils taking and sharing sexual images.
Delegates to the National Education Union’s annual conference heard that secondary schools were only able to allocate a few hours a year to teach the relationships and sex education (RSE) curriculum in England, giving them little time to discuss issues such as pornography and sexual abuse as they arose.
One in 20 primary school pupils have shared nude images with each other, delegates at NEU’s annual conference heard.
Jon Reddiford, a teacher from north Somerset, told the conference that he had recently experienced “a really horrible set of incidents” at his school involving year 11 pupils that could have been avoided with more RSE teaching in previous years.
“It had been going on for a long time before it emerged to staff that a number of the girls were taking explicit photos of themselves and sending them to their boyfriends, which were then being shared around. It later emerged that pressure was being put on the girls by their boyfriends to do this,” Reddiford said.
“It needed for the bigger picture to be tackled. The fact that these kind of images were easily available to 15- and 16-year-olds, and the fact that there wasn’t the space in school to discuss them in a way that was appropriate for teenagers … made it much harder for us to deal with it.”
Young people being blackmailed and threatened with sensitive images or sensitive or explicit messages that they’ve been lured into sharing with an online ‘friend’ is one of the most common problems that UAE-based anti-cyber-bullying expert Barry Lee-Cummings of Beat the Cyber Bully comes across these days. They are often too embarrassed to confide in their parents, unsure of how to manage the dilemma, and can be led into sharing even more compromising content in an unsuccessful effort to stop the manipulator.
Read more about cyberbullying in the UAE
© Tabitha Barda’s The SchoolsCompared.com. 2022. All rights reserved.
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