Khalid Al Ameri is taking unpaid leave from his government job to become a teacher in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National
Khalid Al Ameri is taking unpaid leave from his government job to become a teacher in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National

Emirati’s lesson in giving back



ABU DHABI // An Emirati has offered to take unpaid leave from his government job to become a teacher in a bid to change perceptions of the profession.

Khalid Al Ameri, a 31-year-old Master of Business Administration graduate of Stanford University in the US, on Monday met Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, director general of Abu Dhabi Education Council, after publishing an open letter to Adec on Twitter with his intentions.

“I first got acquainted with the programme Teach for US,” he said. “We got to understand the model they use in getting highly educated people into teaching positions for a certain amount of time and having that flow of people going into primary and secondary schools, from the highest calibre [of universities] in the US.

“A Princeton graduate can go to Wall Street or Silicon Valley but he chooses to go through this programme and give back to society.”

The same programme was launched in the Emirates, Teach for UAE. “I was reading about the education sector when I came back last summer and we always hear about the lack of Emiratis,” Mr Al Ameri said.

“But I saw a bit of hope when Adec was looking at Teach for UAE where they get the highest-educated Emiratis into the worst schools in the system to get the maximum impact.”

He said he made his decision after reading that many Emirati men were scornful of the teaching profession.

“It really annoyed me,” he said. “It got under my skin because I studied, I was supported and it opened my eyes because I saw some of the smartest people in the US were going through this programme, giving back and succeeding in life. Part of their profile is ingrained in giving back to their community.”

It prompted his decision to write to Adec. "I like to believe I'm good at what I do," said Mr Al Ameri, who is also a columnist for The National. "I'm educated to try to shake things and be a champion for this, so I'll take as much unpaid leave as I need from work for a school of their choosing."

His letter went viral on Twitter. “There won’t be a difference if I go in by myself,” he said. “It’s a movement, not a government programme. It’s young kids saying ‘let’s give back’ and this is what you need here. I want a kid to say ‘this Emirati who went to Stanford doesn’t need to be doing this but he’s doing it because he feels it’s his duty’. How is educating the youth frowned upon?”

So far, four Emirati women have agreed to join father of two Mr Al Ameri. “It’s about creating what this is supposed to do,” he said. “Teach for all is a pipeline of high-calibre people to have a big impact. We have to make this a movement because people are stuck in bureaucracy and I’m here and ready if they’re serious to teach for the UAE, it needs to be proven in front of everyone.”

Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Adec’s director general, said: “We are very happy and proud a young prominent Emirati is willing and enthusiastic to take this noble profession, even if it were only for a limited period of time.”

She said she hoped it would set a good example to other young male and female Emiratis to consider this option in their career to help shape the future of the UAE. “Adec’s family looks forward to this important addition to its ranks,” she said.

cmalek@thenational.ae

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jigra
Director: Vasan Bala
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Rated: 3.5/5
THE DETAILS

Kaala

Dir: Pa. Ranjith

Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar  

Rating: 1.5/5 

Isle of Dogs

Director: Wes Anderson

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson

Three stars

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
PRIMERA LIGA FIXTURES

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Saturday
Atletico Madrid v Sevilla (3pm) 
Alaves v Real Madrid (6.15pm) 
Malaga v Athletic Bilbao (8.30pm) 
Girona v Barcelona (10.45pm)

Sunday
Espanyol v Deportivo la Coruna (2pm) 
Getafe v Villarreal (6.15pm) 
Eibar v Celta Vigo (8.30pm)
Las Palmas v Leganes (8.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Valencia (10.45pm)

Monday
Real Betis v Levante (11.pm)


The UAE Today

The latest news and analysis from the Emirates

      By signing up, I agree to The National's privacy policy
      The UAE Today