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New curriculum awaits public schools students from new academic year

Move aimed at preparing students of public schools for university without foundation programme

Dr Najwa Al Hosani and Dr Alaaeldin A. Aly discuss school reforms at the Adec meeting . — KT photo by Nezar Balout

Abu Dhabi - Starting next academic year, incoming Grade 11 students in public schools will follow a unified track that covers broad subjects aimed at preparing senior students for university without the need for foundation programmes.

With the new Cycle 3 (Grades 10-12) model, students no longer have to choose between literature and art streams. All Grade 11 students will have to take similar subjects under the “modified curriculum” which still cover most of the existing subjects; however, content and mode of delivery are revamped using technology as tools.

The core curriculum include the Stem (Science, Technology/ICT, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, which will comprise 50 per cent of the curriculum; Humanities (Islamic Studies and Integrated Social Studies); language and speech communication (Arabic and English language, speech and technical writing); health and activities (health, leadership, PE and Jujitsu); and academic and career guidance.

Under the modified curriculum, students have an option to choose two elective science subjects that include biology, chemistry, geoscience and environmental science and from the ICT modules (software programing, information security and creative design). Students will then have the option the following year to take these electives further according to their interest. “The reformed curriculum is designed to prepare students to engage in practical life and adhere to life-long learning. It also provides them with the fundamental skills and experiences that will help enhance their chances of joining higher education institutes without the need to take a foundation programme,” explained Dr Najwa Al Hosani, curriculum division manager at the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec).

“The plan is to really do something on the ground to help those students before they graduate and join university,” said Dr Alaaeldin A. Aly, knowledge management manager from the Office of Planning and Strategic Affairs at Adec.

According to him, only 13 per cent of students at Adec schools passed the Common Educational Proficiency Assessment (CEPA) test last year. CEPA is the exam taken into account by universities as part of their admission criteria.

This meant that only 13 per cent made it directly into university without going through foundation courses, and this is “not acceptable at all”, said Dr Aly.

He said the decision to implement the unified stream to Grade 11 students is to “catch them” early and fully-prepare them when they graduate by 2017 to go directly to university. He noted the UAE Cabinet’s decision to cancel the foundation programme at the federal universities by 2017-2018, where majoritwy of Emirati students spend a year or two.

He added that this is also part of the overall strategy of the Abu Dhabi school model (previously known as the new school model) to produce bilingual students, equipped with the 21st century skills.

Next year, the school model will be implemented in Grade 8. This means incoming Grades 9 and 10, and graduating students won’t be affected by the changes and will continue to follow the old curriculum where the subjects are still delivered in Arabic.

At present, about 80 per cent of Grade 12 Emirati students are in the literary track, which means they are more likely not to pursue medicine, engineering or science and technology courses.

olivia@khaleejtimes.com