Emiratisation

ADEC our education body has been using this word since I have arrived in UAE. The aim is to get more Emirati teachers, teaching in the schools and to continue with achieving a higher standard of education so the students are able to compete successfully in the global knowledge economy. ADEC are definitely putting in place programmes and strategies to do just this. Our KPI’s, key performance indicators, state that 66% of the staff must be Emirati. In both my schools which are located 60 kms out of the city of Al Ain and about 70 kms from Dubai, only about 33 % of the staff are Emirati with the remaining 66% made up of expat teachers from neighbouring gulf countries. The city schools are better resourced including the internet etc and attract top teachers. The rural schools do not have that luxury. Lots of teachers don’t like the travel out into the desert, or the longer school day as we are full schools catering for KG through to Grade 12, so we have lots of expat teachers. In Madeleine’s school which is much closer to town they have a very high % of Emirati teachers. We have also been told that ADEC are bringing up to 24 the number of periods a week a teacher must teach. Some teachers have light period loadings as schools are over staffed. Many teachers teach approx 16 -18 periods a week. In the papers on Sunday was the announcement from Dr Mugheer that approx 1400 teacher’s would lose their jobs. Although he stated reasons, I heard him say when he attended a staff meeting at the girls school that teachers must increase the period loading to 24, which is economic reality. On Monday the axe fell, and yesterday both schools were pretty gloomy places to be. At my boys school 12 teachers lost their jobs and at the girls school 5 with no indictable reason why these particular teachers were chosen. Sadly many of those now leaving, were very good teachers, heads of faculty, with good pedagogical practice and most very good English speaking teachers. Speaking and learning English has a high emphasis in schools today as a way of supporting the students to achieve in the global sphere. School finishes in 2 weeks so there are many added complications not only in their working lives but in their personal lives. This is not the forum nor the time to discuss this issue. Suffice to say I am sad for those leaving, many have become colleagues and others, friends, because we were able to converse really well in English. I am sad also for my schools and education. I can understand the reasoning, but the reality? Pics included here of a joint professional development session Neil and I delivered at the boys school. While engaged in the activities sadly these chaps no longer have contracts.