The pen will still be mighty in advent of iPad learning, says UAE education overseer

siteadmin — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:44:26 +0000

08 Jan 2013

The pen will still be mighty in advent of iPad learning, says UAE education overseer

The rapid movement of devices such as iPads into classrooms will not bring an end to more traditional forms of education, one of its overseers promises. But it will keep parents more in touch with their children's progress, and with education authorities.

Dr Najla Al Naqbi has a reassuring message for parents who fear the growing use of devices such as the iPad in schools spells the death of the skills they learnt as children.

"The skills that our older generations used in learning, from a pencil to a book, are not going to vanish," says Dr Al Naqbi, the programme manager for eLearning at Abu Dhabi Education Council, or Adec.

"We teach skills, not just informations. From the past we take the skills of writing and reading in Arabic and English and the knowledge of numbers.

"In the old days we had storybooks and a teacher reading to us. All this stays, along with the progress brought by change."

Her position places her at the forefront of the emirate's strategy to prepare its young to conquer the cyberworld.

She accepts the idea of eLearning comes with many misconceptions - of pupils replacing a heavy backpack full of books with nothing more than a tablet and charger, and of classrooms where the pencil sharpener and rubber are mere relics.

"There is a general misconception in the public's understanding of the definition of e-learning," Dr Al Naqbi says. "Once you hear the word you think only of iPads and laptops, but this is very wrong."

Adec is developing a comprehensive training strategy for eLearning in schools, universities and workplaces. Each requires a different approach.

Businesses regard eLearning as a tool for professional development to be used by employers and employees, Dr Al Naqbi says.

By the time students get to university, they should have learnt the basic skills needed to navigate the internet effectively and safely. There the emphasis is more on research and group discussions.

The basic skills of the new technologies will be taught in schools, with Adec's strategy to allow teachers considerable discretion about what is best for developing young minds, while offering strong community involvement from the primary grades to graduation.

Dr Al Naqbi gives the example of a teacher explaining the differences between oranges and apples to primary schoolchildren.

"Not every teacher will use the same method because every group of students is different," she says.

"Some may understand more through their sense of smell, while it might be the colour that grabs the attention of others.

"We trust our teachers' vision to see what ever she needs for her class."

When using devices such as computers and tablets, she believes it is "very important to us to create a base of healthy skills in our children". That includes ensuring young minds are not overexposed by "teaching them how to sit properly and when to stop".

Another major issue for Adec is the distractions devices bring for young children. Some schools have introduced controls that lock pupils out if they are playing games rather than studying.

"We are going to teach our children about cyber safety from a young age to protect their rights and the families rights and privacy," says Dr Al Naqbi.

Cyber bullying is another issue, "so we teach them from Grade 1 what and what not to share in public".

Future generations will also be educated to avoid difficulties and embarrassment from using social-media sites such as Facebook.

Dr Al Naqbi calls this "cyber citizenship", defined as learning "how to be a respected person while using the internet.

"It is about being ethical, respecting others for their personality, religion, nationality and opinion."

This approach means parents and teachers must be fully involved. Adec has introduced training programmes for both groups and plans to bring in more.

Last October and November about 300 parents across the emirate completed the first "eCitizen" training course organised by Adec in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (Adsic).

The organisations aim to start a programme of training in schools next month, which will continue throughout the year.

"The last training course saw a large number of parents taking part, attending sessions in the mornings and evenings across a number of schools in the emirate," says Dr Al Naqbi.

"Parents are eager to learn more about the applications of computers and the internet and the uses of the latest technology."

At present, teachers have access to an Electronic Student Information System (Esis), recording grades, attendance and any other relevant information on a daily basis.

The platform also helps administrative tasks such as school transfers and new student registration.

It all adds up to great efficiency in managing student records and eliminates the time-consuming task of sending paper files between schools and the authority.

This technology will also bring parents closer to schools. An application called iAdec can be downloaded to smartphones and will connect parents to a team dedicated to answering questions and complaints.

Inside school, closed-circuit cameras connected to the internet mean parents will be able to watch their children's activities.

"For example, if parents are at work, they can now check that their child is in school or even see him live in class," Dr Al Naqbi says. Parents will also have regular access to their children's marks, rather than waiting for end-of-term reports.

"In the coming years there will be even more interaction between home and school," says Dr Al Naqbi. "A parent will able to send an SMS directly to the teacher if they want to ask, 'why did my child have a low mark in his maths test?'"

At the same, she stresses the technology should be regarded as a tool rather than an end in itself.

"Using technology does help students to learn, in collaboration with many things, but it should always be seen as a tool not a goal. We aim to mix technology and hands-on activities."

Teachers are "like a second mother or father" who can help a child navigate the challenges and opportunities of the latest technologies," Dr Al Naqbi says.

balhashemi@thenational.ae

Peer power strengthens lives of autistic children in Dubai

Natasha Shetty — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 10:33:39 +0000

16 Nov 2017

Peer power strengthens lives of autistic children in Dubai

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(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) More than 15 Dubai students are volunteering to spend time with autistic children, in hopes that it will help them gain some peer interaction.

The kind-hearted gesture is part of the Peer Power Rocks initiative, with support from Autism Rocks, and was formed to encourage the youth to volunteer and take part in sport activities with people with determination.

Fouad Abboud, 16, recently played basketball with a few autistic children who visited his school, the Universal American School, as part of the initiative. The Canadian-Lebanese student told Khaleej Times that this experience was "a real eye-opener" for him.
"When I got the opportunity to meet the special needs kids, it was great, because I have never been around special needs kids and I wanted to establish a relationship with them," he said. "My mission for going was to get familiar with what autism is and how it affects the kids. I wanted to learn more about it and enjoy my time with them."

Abboud said that initially he was a bit "stressed out" about volunteering because he did not know what his role would entail, however, he feels the experience changed his perception and helped him learn many new things.
"We played basketball together and when we talked, we got along and when they scored in the basketball, they showed emotion in a very interesting way. It has really changed my perception for people with special needs and it was a real eye-opener. For us teens, we don't spend a lot of time with them. We hear about it and we say it's a great cause, but we never get to experience it. But now I know, it's a life-changing experience." There are 15 other students from the Universal American School who are taking part in this initiative, as part of their IB-Diploma. The initiative encourages schools to invite over people with determination to their schools and engage with students.

The idea of Peer Power Rocks was launched by an American expat, April McCabe, who works at the Autism Rocks Centre and was looking for outlets where her 14-year-old autistic son can engage in activities with other peers.
"What the vision is that most children like my son - who is a special needs boy - are not allowed to attend mainstream school, so they don't get the neuro-typical peer interaction that they would typically get in a school," she said. "This means the only friends they have are those with special needs. So, I was looking for an outlet for my son.

"From a parent's standpoint, kids with autism can learn social skills from neuro-typical children. When they're younger, they can learn how to play. For example, when my son was pre-K in the US, he didn't know how to climb down the slide, but after a week of watching some of the other kids doing it, he finally went and tried to slide. So, kids with autism lack social skills. For neuro-typical kids, it's teaching them how to be empathetic, understanding and be leaders as well."
The Autism Rocks Centre is encouraging other schools to get involved and join the initiative.

KT Nano Edit Fruitful interaction
Start young is the catchword. Allowing youngsters to interact with people not as able as themselves open up a new world for both parties. Apart from the joy and happiness people with determination get as they interact with their able counterparts, such initiatives help the young grow into wholesome human beings. This should, in fact, be the goal of education, where student starts feeling for the other. Fruitful interaction

Abu Dhabi University Ranked Ninth Globally In Quacquarelli Symonds’ World University Rankings 2018 For Its Diverse And International Student Body

Natasha Shetty — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 05:41:15 +0000

25 Sep 2017

Abu Dhabi University Ranked Ninth Globally In Quacquarelli Symonds’ World University Rankings 2018 For Its Diverse And International Student Body

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Abu Dhabi University (ADU) ranked ninth place globally on the “International Student Index” in Quacquarelli Symonds’ QS World University Rankings 2018 for its multicultural and international student body.

Commenting on the ranking that marks ADU’s third international achievement this year, H.E Ali Saeed Bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, Chairman of ADU’s Executive Board, said: “This new accolade is a testament to the University’s success in creating a unique educational environment. The quality of our academic offerings combined with our keen interest to embrace cultural diversity attracted students of 70 nationalities from around the world, offering them the opportunity to interact, learn from each other, and develop a system of values that reflects the climate of tolerance and cultural cohesion of the UAE”.

Bin Harmal pointed out that ADU is continuously developing and enhancing its strategy to ensure it offers innovative and internationally benchmarked programs to its local and international students, in line with the vision of the UAE’s wise leadership to transform the nation into a global hub for quality higher education.

Since its inception, ADU has witnessed a steady increase in student enrollment. Upon its launch, the University registered 852 students across seven bachelor programs - a sharp contrast to the more than 7,650 students who are pursuing their degrees today in 40 undergraduate and postgraduate programs offered across the University’s three campuses in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Dubai.

QS World University Rankings is an annual publication by Quacquarelli Symonds. As the only ranking of its kind to have received International Ranking Expert Group (IREG) approval, it is one of the most prestigious rankings of educational institutions worldwide.

Innovation initiatives begin on Abu Dhabi Corniche

Natasha Shetty — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 05:10:49 +0000

04 Feb 2018

Innovation initiatives begin on Abu Dhabi Corniche

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Visitors to Abu Dhabi Corniche will have the chance to experience the latest innovations and participate in 27 interactive workshops as part of the UAE Innovation Month.

More than 100 innovators are taking part in the Innovator 2018 and the Abu Dhabi Science Festival initiatives organised by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK). Twenty-five innovative projects from government and private organisations will be displayed while approximately 7,000 students in school trips and 35,000 visitors are expected to attend.

The initiatives aim to create a stimulating environment enhancing creativity and invention in all fields, all while contributing to spreading a culture of innovation and embedding it into the fabric of businesses and lifestyle.

Visitors will get involved in a series of interactive events and workshops, including the hydraulic key, smoke launchers, camel racing, mobile application development, the operation room and the blood laboratory.

In addition to young mechanics, small robot cubes, robot innovators, laser aircraft, the future car design challenge, Mambo unmanned drones, model design, electronics, and many other interactive workshops.

ADEK is also organising major strategic initiatives in Abu Dhabi, the Al Ain Region and the Al Dhafra Region such as a week-long interactive programme as part of lema? along with Innovator 2018, the Abu Dhabi Science Festival.

In Al Ain, 600 students in school trips and 8,000 visitors are expected to attend six interactive workshops organised at three shopping malls while The lema? programme is expected to attract more than 16,000 students in its various interactive activities and programmes across Abu Dhabi.

Innovator 2018 will be available for school students from 9am to 1pm and will be open to the general public from 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and 2pm to 10pm on weekends at the Abu Dhabi Corniche and at three shopping malls in Al Ain until February 7, with free admissions for all.

Picks of the week from across the Twitter-sphere

Barney Atkins — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 20:54:54 +0000

13 Jul 2020

Picks of the week from across the Twitter-sphere

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'Picks of the week' brings you our favourite educational discovers from the gold-mine that is Twitter. Whether you're looking to build your professional network, get some professional development ideas, discover resources and tips for your next class or promote your school community it's a pretty good bet you'll be able to do all four in just a few scrolls.

Have you submitted your remote learning, lockdown experiences yet? @teachmiddleeast are giving you the chance to win AED 1,000 Amazon vouchers. All you need to do is tell them what have you learned personally or professionally during the COVID-19 lockdown. Get your submissions in by 16th July for a chance to win - find out more here.

As we reach the summer break lot’s of educators all over the world will be taking a very well deserved rest. For some however, the summer break will be spent getting ready for the adventure of teaching abroad. GESS Award winner, GESS Talks contributor and webinar guest speaker Kate Jones @87history was in the same position a few years ago but has never looked back since making the move to the UAE. Kate put together a great blog post packed full of helpful tips for anyone who is moving abroad to teach for the next academic year. You can check it out here.

It was fantastic to welcome David Harkin, 7billionideas CEO as a keynote speaker at GESS Dubai 2020. If you enjoyed what you heard from David back in February, you will love the new 7 Billion Ideas Podcast. The latest episode, “Learning for Tomorrow” is out now and you can listen for free here.

With a bit more free time over the summer break, it is the perfect time to get stuck into some good books. We loved coming across @MissAllenReads account and themed reading list ideas. Whether you get stuck into these books yourself over the summer, or save them for your students in the new term is up to you. Check out her ideas for Geography and History lovers below.

For Geography lovers:

For History buffs:

Students need more than pep talk to decide on career paths

Barney Atkins — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 09:17:18 +0000

18 Mar 2019

Students need more than pep talk to decide on career paths

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The UAE's education sector offers students plenty of resources and accessibility - all the way from 209 different private schools in Dubai, with a focus on STEM studies, Fourth Industrial Revolution topics embedded into the curriculum, and part-time job opportunities.

But with a long list of choices comes the heavy responsibility of making the right decision that leads to the successful path - especially when students have to decide on a career.

This is when career counselling within schools comes into play, as well as the part-time job opportunities that are now open to students aged 15 and above. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority's Rahhal project also gives pupils a chance to test potential career choices out.

Sara Radwan, the careers counsellor at GEMS Wellington International School (WSO), said it's important for students to know that it's natural to feel overwhelmed with choices at their age.

"The guidance process must be data-driven and not only a pep talk about where the student's interest lies. Students need to start narrowing down their options by drawing emphasis on their areas of strength," Radwan said.

"Across all curriculums, students will reach a point where they are taking both core (required subjects) and electives (a number of subjects across various areas of discipline such as arts, sports, business, social sciences). This is when they need to carefully choose electives in the areas they are likely to have a career in.

"Not to forget that university entry requirements can be 'subject and level-relevant' and that has to be factored in during the guidance process after Year 9."

Radwan shared the story of a student at WSO, Leonardo Maroccolo, who played football professionally in Verona, Italy, and dreamed of earning a sports scholarship in a US-based university.

However, Maroccolo was told to consider a 'back-up plan' as he also had a passion and aptitude towards business and economics.

"During his senior year, he grew more interested in business and economics, and while he was a stellar athlete and did receive various scholarship offers to play football for universities in the US, he turned those offers down and decided to join the European University (EU) Business School in Barcelona," Radwan said. "Leonardo is graduating from EU in summer 2019. During his three years in the university, Leonardo managed to study abroad for a term in Derby University Bachelor of Honors in Business Management, and completed international internships at Samsung, Cirrus Aircraft and We Can Consulting."

The vice-principal at GEMS New Millennium School, Christine de Noronha, said their step-by-step career guidance begins in Grade 8, where students do modules on financial literacy.

Grade 9 students are offered the Global Futures curriculum from Singularity University, as well as the Cisco training on the Internet of Things, which helps them prepare for the future.

"All Grade 11 students have access to the Unifrog website, an award-winning online careers platform. In addition, Knowledge Hour - which is run exclusively by students for the students - brings in distinguished speakers, university representatives and professionals from all walks of life to share their career journeys with parents and students," Noronha said.

"To provide an edge for university readiness, we constantly tap different organisations to offer internship programmes for students. This focused preparation acts as a pivotal springboard that allows our 'new millennials' to surge in the direction of their dreams."

Source: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/news/education/students-need-more-than-pep-talk-to-decide-on-career-paths

UAE-based female entrepreneurs visit UK

Barney Atkins — Tue, 28 Aug 2018 12:26:31 +0000

28 Aug 2018

UAE-based female entrepreneurs visit UK

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Thirteen UAE-based female entrepreneurs have started their social entrepreneurship training journey with the pilot edition of Badiri Social Entrepreneurship Programme, BSEP, which kicked-off in the UK.

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SHARJAH: Thirteen UAE-based female entrepreneurs have started their social entrepreneurship training journey with the pilot edition of Badiri Social Entrepreneurship Programme, BSEP, which kicked-off in the UK.

BSEP is the brainchild of Sharjah-based NAMA Women Advancement Establishment’s education and capacity building arm, Badiri Education and Development Academy, and the School for Social Entrepreneurs, SSE. Through their collaboration on BSEP, SSE is expanding its reach into the Arab region for the first time.

Spread over 10 months, the programme aims to empower Emirati and UAE-based female entrepreneurs above the age of 20, through knowledge-exchange and expert sessions that will equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to turn their business into profitable social enterprises.

After a rigorous selection process that was undertaken by BSEP in the first quarter of 2018, it was successfully launched with participants flying to the UK for 10 days of intensive learning in London and Cornwall, organised by SSE.

The programme’s customised curriculum will expose the participants to the social enterprise ecosystem in the UAE, England and India. They will learn what it is really like to run a social enterprise - an organisation which goes beyond commercial success to create a positive social impact - through project visits, practical learning sessions and talks from established social entrepreneurs.

On their UK leg, the entrepreneurs learned about the purpose and goals of social entrepreneurship from Alastair Wilson, CEO of the School for Social Entrepreneurs; attended sessions on business model canvas by Reetu Sood, a social enterprise consultant; and discovered how to communicate their stories effectively from Jean MacKay, Director at Jump Training.

Project visits are a central focus of BSEP, as social enterprises thrive on a unique dynamic, which is being socially conscious and requires in-depth exploration of opportunities and resources within the context of their social impact.

In Cornwall, participants learned about the social entrepreneurship vision behind the historic Eden Project, guided by the project’s development director, Dan James. In London, they visited Stour Space, a socially minded organisation offering exhibition, performance and studio space for the development of creative enterprises. Juliet Can, Director of Stour Space, spoke about her journey, detailing how she set up her vibrant business and overcame challenges she faced along the way. They also attend an expert session on measuring social impact by Lee Robinson, Evaluation and Research Manager at SSE.

Reem BinKaram, Director of NAMA Women Advancement Establishment, said, "Our participants are currently in one of the most exciting phases of BSEP; gathering first-hand experiences from experts in the field of social entrepreneurship in the UK as well as previous SSE graduates. In a world driven largely by a profit, it is imperative to equip the upcoming generation of business owners with the tools and expertise to benefit communities within which they operate.

"Women take to social causes naturally, which is explained by the fact that they outnumber male social entrepreneurs in several countries like Argentina, Iceland, Lebanon, and Russia. NAMA, under the leadership of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wants to bring this wave to the UAE and the Arab region by empowering more female social entrepreneurs who will innovate and experiment, and add value to society through their businesses."

Commenting on the workshops Amy Barbor, Network Manager, Quality and Learning, SSE London, said, "It’s an absolute privilege to be working with such a dynamic powerful group of women. We are working them hard and they are rising to the challenge. It’s also very exciting to be working alongside Badiri Academy, it feels like a strong impactful partnership that I hope will long continue."

Reetu Sood, social enterprise consultant, said, "We looked at business model canvas and discussed how we can create strong business models that combine social and commercial value, so that a social enterprise is sustainable and can do what it is set out to do: which is create a strong social impact.

"The participants are amazing; they were all so engaged. Their businesses are all incredible; they brought so much knowledge with them, were open to sharing with others, supported each other, and had great questions and keen observations. I am looking forward to knowing what they experience in a few months as they put their learnings into practice."

Participants also attended witness sessions where they picked up valuable lessons from hearing experiences of other people’s social entrepreneurship journeys, and attended money management sessions that shed light on the crucial aspect of how they should be handling their finances to run a healthy and sustainable enterprise.

Source: http://gulftoday.ae/portal/a2dc9cee-314d-49fa-9e52-b185a7ef3fa4.aspx

Dubai-based firm Coded Minds to help poor students pursue education

Barney Atkins — Thu, 19 Sep 2019 08:50:29 +0000

19 Sep 2019

Dubai-based firm Coded Minds to help poor students pursue education

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Dubai-based firm launches initiative to support poor students in Year of Tolerance

Dubai-based global education company Coded Minds has announced a community initiative, dedicated to the UAE’s Year of Tolerance (2019), to support students who cannot continue their studies because of financial constraints.

“We are offering education coaching to students who are missing out on schools because of the family’s financial difficulties and their parents’ inability to afford school fees. We believe that such an inability should not prevent any child from getting an education. This will be an alternative solution where we will undertake all efforts possible to ensure that each child is compensated for missing the cycle of education,” said Omar Farooqui, founder of Coded Minds.

“For just Dh1,000 per year, we will provide core STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] learning to the students and will be available all across UAE,” he added. According to Farooqui, within hours of the announcement, hundreds of applications from families across the UAE have been received.

Farooqui also praised the support of all those who come forward to volunteer in the project ‘Hope Academy’.

Those who want to enrol their children or volunteer can send an email to admissions@coded-minds.org

Source: https://gulfnews.com/uae/education/dubai-based-firm-coded-minds-to-help-poor-students-pursue-education-1.66499876

Skyview

siteadmin — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:44:24 +0000

14 Oct 2013

Skyview

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The organisers behind the renowned Dubai Airshow, F&E Aerospace are delighted to introduce the launch of their new exciting public event called Skyview at the Dubai Airshow.

Skyview will give families and aircraft enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy the show’s world class flying display commencing with the UAE’s very own Aerobatic Team the Al Fursan.

The event will take place alongside the Dubai Airshow on the 18^th – 21^st November 2013 between 12pm & 6pm at the dedicated area next to the Dubai Airshow in the heart of Dubai World Central (DWC), Jebel Ali, Dubai.

Buy your ticket to the action NOW! http://www.timeoutdubai.com/aroundtown/events/25898

Skyview at the Dubai Airshow: a guaranteed fun filled day out - offering spectators something to remember both on the ground and in the sky.

UAE schools register good attendance on first day

siteadmin — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 11:44:19 +0000

02 Sep 2014

UAE schools register good attendance on first day

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Students following the US and British curriculum will begin their new academic session during this time of the year.

The yellow school buses were back on the UAE roads from Sunday morning as most schools resumed classes after a two-month holiday season. Private schools in the Capital registered good attendance with only a few reporting back-to-school blues.

Students entering the school bus on the first day of the school after summer vacations in sharjah. - KT photo by M.Sajjad

The Operations Room of the General Directorate of Central Operation at Abu Dhabi Police handled 287 traffic accident reports between 8am and 2pm — mostly minor. No major accidents were reported in Dubai while reports from Downtown Abu Dhabi also said that traffic flowed steadily, primarily because many private schools have now shifted out of the city to operate in Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Khalifa City and Baniyas.

Traffic under control

Use of public transport, especially the Metro, reduced traffic jams, according to the Dubai Traffic Police.

While the Abu Dhabi Police Operations Rooms received a number of accident calls, no major traffic accidents were reported in Dubai. Colonel Jamal Al Banay, Acting Director of Traffic Department, Dubai, said that no major accident was registered during the school rush hours since additional police patrols and traffic controllers were deployed.

In Abu Dhabi, the “Tathqeef” education patrols were deployed near schools. Colonel Khamis Ishaq Mohammed, Deputy Director of the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate, inspected traffic on different roads.

For Noor Fathima, a KG 2 student at Credence High School, Dubai, the reopening of schools is a ‘welcome change’. “I am very happy to go back to school because I can spend time with friends,” she said.

Her father Nasir Ali was also at the bus stop to see off his daughter on the first day of school.

Raina Shah, a Grade 9 student at The Indian High School, Dubai, said: “Going back to school after such a long break is always difficult and I have exams within two weeks of school reopening. On the positive side, school reopening is a time to go back to friends.”

Students following the US and British curriculum will begin their new academic session during this time of the year. For 7th grader Purnima Sharma from Dubai Scholars Private School, back to school marks the beginning of a new academic year. “I am waiting to know who my class teacher is and make new friends. I will have to study physics, chemistry and biology as separate subjects.”

Preparing kids for the first day of school is no easy task and Anuradha Viswanath, a parent, knows it all too well. “The first day of school is always a tough task. I started preparing my son a couple of days before.”

In addition to the 158 existing private schools in Dubai, 11 new schools have opened, providing a further 23,000 student seats. In total, over 243,700 students have enrolled for classes in private schools for the 2014-15 academic year.

Happiness and diversity

In a statement, Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said: “Happiness and diversity in learning is integral to success in education, particularly in the multi-cultural environment of Dubai. The start of the new academic year is a catalyst for positive energy, providing a platform for future success and accomplishment.”

At the Philippine Emirates Private School (PEPS) in Abu Dhabi, 950 students of the 956 enrolees turned out on the first day.

“The others have yet to return from the Philippines,” said principal Rosemary Natividad.

“The only issue we had was some of the buses came late. This is usual on the first day, we have almost 300 new students and the problem was in locating where to pick them up,” said Natividad.

Students of The Indian High School, Dubai, rush out to play on the first day of school on Sunday. — KT photo by Dhes Handumon

At the Al Rayyan National Private School, almost 70 per cent of its students turned out on Sunday. “I’ll give it a week’s time for the residents to come, but the response of is encouraging,” said Principal Dr Afsar.

Chaos

At the Twenty First Century Private Academy, Abu Dhbai, the first day of school was not so smooth. “It’s a disaster. The distribution of books and uniforms was not systematic. They should have allocated other classrooms and not just the administration, the queue was so long. Plus the weather is not helping, the air conditioning is not sufficient and they have to open the door and people are lining up there too,” said an annoyed mother, Emily Pangilinan.

“They said today is the first day of classes but that did not happen, the advisers just gave the list of requirements,” she added. What’s new this year though was the introduction of the “star section” or the grouping of high performing students.

Hazel Paloma, another mum, said her daughter, also in Grade 4 was excited to meet her friends but was surprised to find that there were only four she knew in the class.