Tag Archives: education
Half the schools in Dubai are not good, says KHDA
Half the schools in Dubai are not good, says KHDA Muaz Shabandri / 30 April 2013 Most private schools in Dubai continue to remain below ‘good’ quality as school education in the emirate noted limited improvements last year. The findings were announced following the completion of Dubai School Inspection Bureau’s (DSIB) fifth cycle of school inspections. “There are currently 63 private schools in Dubai offering a good or better quality of education, a similar number to last year. These schools educate approximately half the total number of students who attend private schools. There are also 80 schools which continue to provide a quality of education below the expected ‘good’ level for Dubai,” said the report. A total of 143 schools have been inspected and most of these schools have been evaluated by school inspectors for five years in a row now. With 80 of the 143 schools needing significant improvements, the inspection results raise significant questions about the school education system. Most students in Dubai schools receive only an ‘acceptable’ quality of education as recommendations have been made year after year by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). A major area of concern for educators remains in teaching Arabic as an additional language to expat students. The report noted ‘very slight’ improvements in students learning of Arabic as an additional language. It said: “Students attainment and progress in this subject remain weak in a significant proportion of private schools in Dubai.” Most students coming out of Dubai schools do not get an opportunity to learn Arabic after enrolling for higher education in private universities in the UAE. The problem leads onto limited conversational knowledge of Arabic for students who graduate to find employment in the Middle East. Addressing the issue, DSIB Chief Jameela Al Muhairi said: “It is not about the curriculum because all students follow the curriculum provided by the UAE Ministry of Education. We recommend schools to use new methods of teaching Arabic by creating an interactive learning environment. Schools also realise the need to recruit the right teachers.” Another major concern remains the inclusion of children with special education needs (SEN). Most schools are still not able to identify students with special learning needs and the education regulator is placing special emphasis to help track such students. The KHDA report also noted UK and Indian curriculum schools are the most popular among students in Dubai. Talk less, Indian teachers told TEACHERS at Indian schools need to talk less and give students more time to work with each other, the KHDA has said. Noting the need for improvements the report read: “Teachers in most of these schools should reduce the amount of time they talk in lessons and increase opportunities for students to discuss, collaborate with each other, find things out for themselves and explore links between their learning and real-life contexts.” The recommendations were made in a 36-page report outlining key findings of the latest school inspection cycle. Earlier this year, another report released by the authority in January had noted: “Teachers in Indian schools do not consistently demonstrate a confident grasp of best international practice.” muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Khalifa’s UK visit to boost bilateral ties
Khalifa’s UK visit to boost bilateral ties Mustafa Al Zarooni ((REPORTING FROM LONDON)) / 30 April 2013 THE UAE and the UK are expected to sign three agreements, including one on setting up a green bank for environment-friendly projects during the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to the country which begins today. The UAE economic delegation is headed by Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, CEO and Chairman of The Emirates Group and Chairman of Dubai World, Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation, Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Minister of Federal National Council Affairs, and Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, who is also CEO and managing director of Masdar. “UAE-UK relations are improving, and three agreements will be signed between the two countries,” said Dr Anwar Gargash. The green bank is one such partnership and there is also an agreement on metrology, he said. Bilateral ties are looking good and the agreements will go a long way in cementing the relationship, the minister said. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L) stands next to the President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during a Ceremonial Welcome in the town of Windsor, west of London, on April 30, 2013. The President began a two day State Visit to Britain on Tuesday where he is also expected to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron. – AFP Speaking to Khaleej Times , Dr Sultan Al Jaber shed light on the proposed Green Investment Bank, which will finance green energy projects in Britain. It will grant suitable financing facilities for sustainable energy projects like the London Array Offshore Wind Farm project — the biggest wind-generating energy project in the world — which is 20 per cent owned by Masdar. The 2.3 billion British pounds mega development will be launched on July 5 and is now in its commissioning phase. Shaikh Khalifa begins his official visit on Tuesday on the invitation of Queen Elizabeth. This is the first official visit made by a UAE President to the United Kingdom since the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan visited the country in 1989. The strong ties between the UAE and Britain have contributed to maintaining world peace, and bilateral trade is expected to reach Dh70 billion in 2015. Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “We look forward to further focus on strengthening cooperation between the two countries and companies of the two parties in other places of the world, whether at the level of the economy or politics, defence or even on the level of assistance to developing countries.” Tourism between the two countries is booming and 50,000 Britons visit the UAE annually, according to statistics, while 100,000 British expats live and work in the country. The value of Emirati investments in Britain is worth more than five billion pounds and provides 35,000 jobs. “We aspire to a further influx of British companies and educational institutions. Britain can take advantage of the new opportunities available in Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE and to contribute at the same time as partners in the renaissance of our country,” Shaikh Abdullah said earlier. “We in the UAE are watching closely what is happening in Britain at the level of business and economics as well as the political level. That is important for us and we are working to identify more potential partners in the economic boom.” (With inputs from Wam) malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
FEATURE: Private Sector Emerges As Key Potential Funder Of Sustainable Forest Management
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