71% 'outstanding' schools follow British curriculum

Of the 14 outstanding schools in Dubai, 10 follow British curriculum (71 per cent), according to experts at the British Council's "Schools Now!" conference in Abu Dhabi.
Additionally, of the more than 350 private schools in the UAE which cater to 470,000 students - 17 per cent of which are Emirati - 32 per cent follow British curriculum.
The concluding day of the event was attended by Ros Marshall, CEO of Taaleem Schools, and Essa Al Mulla, Executive Director of the Emirates Nationals Development Programme (ENDP), among others.
The second day highlighted that for a school to be successful, the traditional head teacher/teacher/student hierarchy needs to be revisited and challenged. Head teachers cannot be the only leaders; teachers must do more than impart knowledge and students need to be able to take responsibility for their learning as well as the environment and culture of their school.
 "We are glad that the conference has achieved its goals of focusing on contemporary approaches to empowering school leaders and teachers around the world" said Adrian Chadwick, regional director - Mena, British Council. "From the discussions that took place in Abu Dhabi over the past two days, and from the insight and relationships shared and created, the British Council will continue to work with ministries and school leaders across Mena to support greater quality in the classroom, and better learning outcomes for all."
The conference focused on the importance of measuring the effectiveness and outcomes of education, and using those assessments to take steps to give additional educational support if needed and evaluate educational pedagogies.
Other topics discussed include the role of technology in education, the changing role of academic leaders, school leadership dynamics and the role of school leaders as security administrators.
Additionally, the conference presented student perspectives on key issues, in which speakers urged academic leaders and policy makers to listen to each other for the benefit of education as a whole.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi