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Meet the UAE's shadow teachers who are changing the lives of students of determination

Since the early 2000s, the country has been on a mission to champion inclusion in schools in the country

Published: Mon 9 Dec 2024, 6:00 AM

Updated: Mon 9 Dec 2024, 8:45 PM

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Image used for illustrative purpose. Photo: File

Image used for illustrative purpose. Photo: File

Learning support assistants (LSA), or shadow teachers as they are commonly called, have been at the forefront of helping students of determination to integrate into a regular school structure.

Clement Ojieaga switched careers from the hospitality industry to become a LSA in 2017. Since then, he has worked with several students and has even been hit on his head with a book by one student. However, it is determination to help people that has kept him going.

Clement Ojieaga

Clement Ojieaga

“It gives me happiness and satisfaction to help students of determination,” he said. “To be able to support a student to the point where they are reasonably able to manage them on their own is something truly remarkable.”

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A shadow teacher works directly with students of determination, attending school with them, to provide additional support in studies and psychologically. “For each student, we have to use individual strategies,” said Indian expat Bhakti Nikunj Vira, who has been teaching for more than 10 years. “Through trial and error, you come up with strategies to deal with each student."

Syralyn Hilaga became a LSA two years ago and has been working with a student with dyslexia and mild autism since then. According to the Filipina expat, she has been supported immensely by Dubai-based Incluzun, a social enterprise that provides a platform for educational institutes and parents to find shadow teachers. The group trains teachers and provides them with the tools and strategies they need to deal with students and their individual needs.

Syralyn

Syralyn

“Whenever I mention to the group chat about a challenge I am facing, they will offer several solutions,” she said. “If one fails, they will always have other resources or solutions. It is truly a very supportive group and has made my transition from a teacher to a LSA very seamless.”

Since the early 2000s, UAE has been on a mission to champion inclusion in schools in the country to ensure that students of determination are able to attend any educational institute of their choice. LSAs or shadow teachers have played a very prominent role in helping this cause. Earlier this year, Incluzun launched the country’s first awards for such practitioners nationwide with a prize money of Dh15,000.

Making an impact

For Bhakti, one of the biggest challenges came in the form of her husband losing his job several years ago. “I was preparing to look for another job which could give me greater financial stability, but a parent begged me to continue working with their child because he had improved a lot under my care,” she recalled.

Bhakti

Bhakti

“I could not bring myself to leave and continued with that child. Today, I am working with a nonverbal student who absolutely refused to speak. Over the last year, he has started saying about nine words and even begun forming sentences. He makes eye contact with people and loves being in group activities, something he absolutely hated earlier. The kind of impact you can make in the lives of a student of determination is my biggest motivation," she added.

Clement shared his experience about a student with ADHD who was on the autism spectrum and suffered from diabetes. “When I first started with him, he only attended school for two hours and was suicidal," he said. "Several other professionals who were working with him stepped back. I was able to work with him till he reached high school, and he progressed really well."

Syralyn said that even though as a teacher she impacted students, being an LSA was different. "As a teacher, you deal with about 30 students every year," she said. "However, as an LSA, you are involved with one or two students, and you have a huge impact not just on their education but their entire life. It is very rewarding."

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