ABU DHABI // The Government is forging ahead with a scheme to teach problem-solving to pupils at state schools that have relied on rote memorisation for decades, despite some “resistance” from teachers in its inaugural year.
The Madares Al Ghad, or Schools of the Future, programme was launched at 50 state-run schools last year as part of efforts to modernise the education system, and is due to be adopted by even more schools next year.
It comes amid growing concern about the quality of education at government-run schools, which has contributed to more than 40 per cent of Emirati parents abandoning the state system and sending their children to private schools.
In schools where the Al Ghad scheme is in place, less time is spent on rote memorisation and greater emphasis is placed on problem-solving and interactive learning. The teaching of English is also given a higher priority and, in some grades, science and mathematics are taught in English.
Advisers from countries such as the US and Australia, whose education systems have undergone similar reforms, are facilitating instruction in the new teaching methods and encouraging leadership among principals.
This week, principals from the schools in the programme and their advisers are taking part in a three-day training workshop in Dubai designed to ensure those involved understand the scheme and what the second year will entail.
Speaking at the event, Dr Hanif Hassan, the Minister of Education, said the programme was “the vanguard of reform” efforts, and would ensure that pupils retained a sense of their “rich heritage and culture”.
“The vision of the education reform effort is to create a world-class public education system that will not only serve the children of our country, but will also become the model for public education throughout the Middle East,” Dr Hassan said.
The Al Ghad schools would also be involved in the introduction of new curriculum standards and assessment methods.
Last year, the initiative ran at middle and secondary schools and took in grades one, six and 10 to 12. This year, the project is being extended to grades two and seven.
“The minister has established this as the vanguard for the reform effort. All that we’re doing for reform has been put in place in these schools first,” said Dr Vincent Ferrandino, the ministry’s director of policy and planning.
“With any new programme, there’s going to be some resistance to change. That’s the nature of the beast. We did encounter some of that last year, but now the programme has become established, it’s become more accepted. Revisions have been made.”
Dr Ferrandino said most of the changes concerned “technical” issues such as resource materials for teachers. Also, the advisers will each work at two schools this year, whereas in the first year some focused solely on one school.
The initiative aims to prepare young people “more effectively” for higher education. Currently, about one third of the budget at federal universities is spent on foundation courses, among them English lessons, to prepare students for their degree courses.
The Abu Dhabi Education Council has a similar reform programme – the Public Private Partnership for Public School Management – which is using private firms to help promote new management and teaching methods.
Daniel Bardsley