Sheikh Mohammed launches school model offering free education

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday announced the launch of a new model system to be applied to a number of government schools in the country, targeting 14,000 students.

The 'Ajyal Schools' (Generation Schools) is a unique model system among others that will be launch in the future to entirely develop the schools and education system in the country. 

His Highness said on Twitter, “Following the recent structural changes adopted by the UAE President in the education sector, “The Generation Schools,” a unique model system among others is to be launched within the mutable educational projects. Prestigious private educational institutions will manage a number of government schools. We are targeting 14,000 students under this model.”

He continued, “The Generation Schools will adopt the national curricula supervised by the Emirates Schools Establishment, such as Arabic language and Islamic education, in addition to international curricula in science and mathematics supervised by prominent private educational institutions. The tuition fees will be fully covered by the government. And this is the first step to develop our schools and education.”

'Ajyal Schools' project targeting 10 schools in its first year

The Emirates Schools Establishment announced the launch of "Ajyal Schools," a new model for government schools, representing a pioneering step in supporting the education ecosystem.

The new model was approved by the UAE Cabinet to develop Cycle 1 of the government education sector.

Sarah Bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the Emirates Schools Establishment, affirmed that the Ajyal Schools project is one of the various projects aiming to provide greater options for parents and students during the coming period, which will witness sustainable development in various fields.

The minister said, "Ajyal Schools project reflects the great importance that the UAE attaches to the education sector, based on its major role in enhancing the journey of development. This project comes as part of our plans to develop the educational system in the country, provide more options, opportunities, and educational models for our students, and qualify a leading generation capable of creating the future, supporting and developing the education sector is a continuous process."

The Ajyal Schools model adopts more advanced learning outcomes that combine the national curricula with the international curricula. The national curricula will include the Arabic language, Islamic education, moral education and social studies, under the direct supervision of the Emirates Schools Establishment. In contrast, the international curricula will be responsible for subjects such as mathematics, science and others.

The model will be applied to all students from Grades I to IV, in 10 different schools, under the supervision of the Emirates Schools Establishment. The establishment will apply this model to 28 different schools, within three years. The model will be providing additional classes to follow the current students.

The Ministry of Education will continue providing and supervising the Arabic language, Islamic education, moral education and social studies curricula for the third and fourth grades without any change. It will be taught by Emirati teachers to enhance the national identity and societal values.

Al Amiri said, "The Ajyal Schools system aligns with the Emirates Schools Establishment efforts to develop distinct and advanced education models, serve the development and modernisation plans pursued by the establishment to improve the quality of its educational outputs. The positive outputs of the new project will reflect on the educational system in the country, by enhancing its quality, the efficiency of teachers, and the skills and capabilities of students, under the framework of a futuristic educational vision, based on various educational models that suit each region and emirate in the UAE."

She added, "The application of this advanced educational model comes in line with the UAE’s directives to enhance the quality of education, sustain the development process to enrich the students’ experience in the public education sector and enhance the quality of their education and skill acquisitions in line with the UAE’s aspirations."

Al Amiri noted that the establishment would completely supervise the Ajyal Schools by following up on implementing the new model. She said that Taaleem, Aldar Education and Bloom Education will be managing Ajyal Schools, as operators and providers of educational services in the private sector.

She revealed that partnership contracts would be signed with parents within the new schools to build greater cooperation between families and schools in evaluating the educational level of students.

The Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, Chairwomen of Emirates Schools Establishment, said, "The government will support students enrolled in 'Ajyal Schools' by bearing students’ fees and all operating expenses."