ABU DHABI // The Madares Al Ghad (MAG) programme, a school improvement strategy introduced by the Government last autumn, will not be extended beyond the 50 schools involved in the launch.
However, schools that have already begun MAG, or “Schools of the Future”, will continue to follow it, and will receive another Dh9 million (US$2.4m), said Dr Hanif Hassan, the Minister of Education, at a meeting with education officials yesterday.
MAG, which may be fully extended to other schools in the future, was intended to produce graduates proficient in Arabic and English, and change from rote-based teaching to student-centred learning.
The ministry remains committed to the programme. It has recently filled 21 of 102 vacancies for teachers, team leaders, and principal advisers in MAG schools. Participating schools will also receive new English, maths and science books from abroad, which will be given to students at the start of the school year. Six schools will be given computer-based learning resource centres.
In mid-August, the ministry will organise an orientation week for new MAG teachers.
“The orientation programme will stress on UAE’s culture, traditions, religion,” Dr Hassan said.
New Arab staff joining government schools will also take part in programmes to acquaint them with the UAE’s laws and regulations, Dr Hassan said. He added that 639 teachers out of more than 24,000 would not return in the new school year; some would retire, while others had resigned or reached the end of their secondments.
To fill the vacancies, the ministry started hiring new teachers in May. They would be recruited after taking into consideration the Government’s intention to raise the number of UAE nationals in teaching.
A team of Arabic language education experts has been formed to set standards for the new Arabic-language curriculum based on current techniques. A specialised Arabic academic supervisor will be appointed to every school next autumn.
Kathryn Lewis