THE SCHOOLS REPORT UAE: WHAT’S NEW IN EDUCATION THIS WEEK?
The Schools Report brings you the SchoolsCompared.com official Weekly Briefing on the Hottest News in Education.
Every Thursday 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 Thursday. Only from SchoolsCompared.com.
Former British PM says generation of learners ‘lost’ to Covid-19
The education sector went into reverse during the pandemic, with pupils across the world suffering massive losses in earning potential, said Gordon Brown, former UK prime minister and UN special envoy for global education.
Young people have been deprived of vital skills and trillions of dollars in future earnings in the past two years as schools have remained closed in many countries, said the former leader.
Brown shared his message at the Rewired global education summit at the Expo 2020 Dubai site from Sunday to Tuesday. Find out more.
Three-day weekend confirmed for schools in Sharjah
Following the news that the UAE government will be switching to a 4.5-day workweek from Monday to Friday, Sharjah has upped the ante, announcing a four-day workweek from 2022 with Friday, Saturday and Sunday forming the new weekend. The new workweek will be effective from January 1st, 2022.
The decision was made as per directives issued by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The move has been lauded as progressive by many, but also raised questions about how curricula will be covered in the truncated working weeks. Find out more.
Do UAE schoolchildren have more holidays than the rest of the world?
School holidays in the UAE are potentially facing change with the new shorter working week announced across emirates including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. We ask: do UAE schoolchildren have more time off than the rest of the world? With so many nationalities living in the country, every family will have its own point of comparison. Here, we look at the average number of school days for children in different countries around the world, ordered from least to most…
Demeaning US “Dash for Cash” stunt highlights teachers’ low salaries
A South Dakota fundraising stunt in which 10 teachers competed to collect cash was humiliating to the participants and degrading to educators as a whole, say critics.
The hockey team Sioux Falls Stampede’s “Dash for Cash” promotion invited teachers to snatch as many $1 bills as they could from a $5,000 pile of money donated by CU Mortgage Direct. Participants grabbed dollars by the fistful, with plans to use the money for classroom supplies.
The event swiftly drew attention on social media, with some likening the stunt to the dystopian Netflix hit series “Squid Game,” in which people in severe debt compete in a series of deadly children’s games. A video of the Dash for Cash event went viral, reaching almost 20 million views on Twitter. A US teacher’s union spokesperson said: “It only underscores the fact that educators don’t have the resources necessary to meet the needs of their students.” Watch the video and learn more.
How to get a scholarship at a UAE school
Think UAE school fees are steep? Scholarships are one way to reduce tuition costs for gifted students, with some schools offering up to 100% scholarships for talented pupils. There are currently more than 30 schools offering scholarships to students throughout the emirates including in Ajman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and these are expected to continue – and potentially to expand – for 2021-22. From academic to creative arts and sports scholarships, Which School Advisor lists all the schools currently offering scholarships in the UAE… If you are a school, or know of a school, offering bursaries and/or scholarships please contact [email protected] and we will cover this in a Future Schools Report special feature for parents.
UAE students to send postcards to space
Emirates Post Group (EPG) on Tuesday announced the launch of the ‘Postcards to Space’ initiative, to inspire young people’s interest in space exploration and encourage a passion for STEM skills.
More than 10,000 students from across the country are being encouraged to express their vision for the UAE over the next 50 years on dedicated postcards.
The postcards will then be transported to the US, where they will be placed onboard Blue Origin rockets and sent into space. Each card will be stamped with a “Flown to Space” stamp, before being returned to the students as a special souvenir on the occasion of the UAE’s Golden Jubilee. Find out more.
Outcry over ‘blatant misogyny’ in Indian English exam
An Indian exam board has withdrawn a passage from a nationwide English exam that appeared to promote the subservience of wives, after an outcry over “blatant misogyny”.
All students have been awarded full marks for the comprehension section of the exam covering the passage, which appeared to explicitly state that women’s independence was undermining discipline and parenting in the home. The passage appeared in an English language and literature exam taken by 14 and 15-year-olds on Saturday.
The offending passage contained lines such as the “emancipation of the wife destroyed the parent’s authority over the children” and “in bringing the man down from his pedestal, the wife and mother deprived herself, in fact, of the means of discipline”.
The passage also said “it was only by accepting her husband’s way that a mother could gain obedience over the younger ones” and “wives stopped obeying their husbands … the main reason why children and servants are undisciplined”. Read more.
UAE schools planning to increase length of school day
Following the UAE government’s announcement of the weekend change, schools too will transition into a four-and-a-half-day workweek. Education regulators have directed schools to ensure that classes get over by 12pm on Fridays. For schools, this means that the academic week has been shortened by half a day.
As a result, some schools are planning to increase school days to make up for this.
Longest-serving GEMS teacher retires after 41 years
An Indian teacher in Dubai has retired after 41 years of service, amid an emotional farewell for her retirement and tributes by students and colleagues.
Daisy Justus, who became the longest-serving teacher of GEMS Education since joining the group’s Our Own English High School in 1980, concluded her career on December 9 – her last day in school before her retirement.
During her time at the school, Justus held numerous positions including English Language Teacher, Coordinator of English, Editor of the school magazine, and Head of English Department. She also mentored numerous students who went on to win accolades for public speaking, debating and creative writing. Read more about Daisy’s remarkable teacher career in the UAE.
The fears of five-year-olds: how young children cope with Covid anxiety
Concerns about the devastating impact of the pandemic on mental health have been well aired since Covid-19 first swept the globe, forcing schools to close and countries into lockdown. But the focus has been, for the most part, on older children and teenagers who have seen their lives turned upside down, their exams cancelled, their futures thrown into doubt. But what of our youngest pupils, who have missed school without knowing what they’re missing and shouldn’t have a care in the world?
A Guardian call-out prompted dozens of responses from parents of five-year-olds. Some said their children had thrived. But many more who responded were anxious about their children. Read their responses.
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