Teachers help shape new policy for schools

More than 1,200 take part in forum to seek their ideas and guide reform efforts for state education in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI // / For the first time in the short history of the Abu Dhabi Education Council, public school teachers are being given the chance to directly affect policymaking.

On Tuesday, Adec invited more than 1,200 teachers, principals and other school staff to a forum at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on “shaping the future” of education in the emirate.

“The primary goal for this initiative is to engage as many schools as possible to come up with ideas and solutions that can help guide Adec’s strategic reform efforts in education,” said Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Adec’s director general.

“Our educators are in the field day in and day out. They are the best people to offer feedback and suggestions on the education reform, and can definitely help promote strategy development and project plans in the education system.”

The educators were split into groups of up to 50 then asked to brainstorm ideas on how to improve schooling in the emirate. Their ideas were input into computers then presented to the group facilitator, who will deliver the recommendations to Adec.

The forum was organised after last year’s survey of staff at public schools about the education issues they thought needed improvement. The results were whittled down to 30 topics including professional development, school calendar, career advising, health and wellness, early childhood education and care and behavioural policy.

Participants, who came from schools in Al Ain, the Western Region and Abu Dhabi, elected which workshops they wished to attend.

“The fact that we’re being asked our opinion is fantastic,” said Lisa Wilson, vice-principal of Al Shaheen Cycle One School in Al Ain.

“The fact that it’s recognised that there are experts within the organisation who can help to shape where the organisation and education goes is brilliant because that’s something in my five years of being here, I have not seen.

“It’s good that you can actually take the experts that you’ve employed and let them help you to make the organisation better.”

Mrs Wilson attended the professional development workshop, whose members recommended that Adec allow schools autonomy over most of their professional development training.

She said the workshop’s consensus was “about looking at meeting the specific needs of each school and making it really, really school-based rather than centrally controlled.”

In the early childhood development workshops, educators proposed a series of improvements, said Azeera Al Jabri, a teacher at Al Soroor Kindergarten.

“Like making curriculum suit the students’ level and suit their second language,” said Ms Al Jabri, noting the requirements are sometimes too demanding for the young learners. The pupil assessment system could also use some revision, she said.

Ms Al Jabri also suggested building larger classrooms in the future.

“I have 24 students and my classroom is so small with all the centres, with all the materials that we have,” she said.

Participants in the workshop also recommended reducing the number of periods from nine to seven, so pupils are not forced to study into the late afternoon when the heat is reaching peak temperatures.

The recommendations will be forwarded to Adec’s department heads and project managers, who will prioritise and propose a timeline for the proposed changes.

Dr Ameena Al Majed, principal at Al Qadisiya School Girls Cycle 3 in Abu Dhabi, echoed many participants who thanked Adec for the opportunity to improve education in the emirate.

“I think this is something that Adec is doing is excellent thing because they are taking the teachers, principals, vice-principals from in school to give the vision for education in Abu Dhabi,” said Dr Al Majed.

“In one table, we sitting principal and vice principals and teachers, that way we are putting any vision or any goals, we are together. We are sharing everything to giving the right way, shaping the future — this is not for today, this is for 2030, this is the vision for education.”