In a residential Dubai neighbourhood, the maroon and cream-coloured low-rise buildings of a Chinese school blend into the quiet surroundings.
Red lanterns decorate the lobby and inside classrooms, a chorus of voices recite Chinese and Mandarin words displayed on a whiteboard.
In only two years, admissions at the first full-time Chinese curriculum school outside of China have nearly trebled.
Before our school was established, parents working in Dubai were separated from their children in China
Liping Yin,
Chinese School Dubai principal
Chinese parents are transferring their sons and daughters from international schools to enrol them in a school that has a strong bond with their homeland.
Teachers, parents and pupils told The National the school “helps understand our special story”.
Reuniting families
The school has also brought families together. The Chinese language teaching makes parents working in the UAE comfortable with bringing their children to live in the UAE.
The Chinese School Dubai has grown to nearly 500 pupils from 184 when launched in September 2020.
“We have solved a problem for many parents working in Dubai,” said Liping Yin, the school principal.
“Before our school was established, parents working in Dubai were separated from their children in China.
“Now families are reunited.”
The private school has the support of China’s Ministry of Education and is funded by the Hangzhou Education Bureau and Chinese businessmen in Dubai.
“Many students are from Dubai but the situation is changing,” Mr Liping said.
“Now more and more students are coming from mainland China.”
For Lingeng Qing, it is a chance to live with his father, who has worked with a Dubai travel company for more than a decade.
“My family was separated but now I’m happy to be with my father,” said the 11 year old, who moved to Dubai last year.
“If not for this school, I could never have come to Dubai.”
Feeling of belonging
Liu Yi Zhen, a grade six pupil, moved to Dubai with her mother and younger sister to be with her engineer father during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and stayed on.
“I have studied in schools in China and compared to that, the stress here is a lot less,” the 12 year old said.
“My parents chose this school because it’s a good combination of international and Chinese schools."
Chinese teachers are frank about the areas on which she needs to work, an attitude that differs from many international schools in the emirate.
“Teachers in international schools say, ‘you are great’, ‘everything is great'," she said.
“Chinese schools encourage you but tell you where you need to improve and that helps much more.”
The emphasis on academics is clear with times tables painted across a staircase.
Other stairwells display rousing proverbs encouraging excellence.
The blue walls of a sports hall have images of traditional sports alongside photos of Chinese athletic, tennis and basketball stars.
Most subjects are taught in Chinese, but some, such as maths and science, have bilingual instruction.
Moral science and cultural study textbooks, a requirement in all UAE schools, are translated into Chinese.
Bilingual power
For Zhang Xiao, the teachers at his previous school found it hard to pronounce his name correctly.
"Back in my old school, the principal would call me J or sometimes Jackson. He would just call me different names,” said Zhang, who studied in an international school before switching in 2021.
“Even after you correct him, he would never get our names right, then you just feel a little hurt."
All his new classmates speak Chinese but often need to work on their language proficiency.
“The main difference is that teachers do not give up on any student,” the 13 year old said.
“Many of us did not have a good Chinese language background but the teachers took us under their wing and helped us learn Chinese.
“I learn Stem subjects in Chinese and English. Language reflects how each culture thinks and being bilingual really helps.”
Understanding heritage
The non-profit school has classes from kindergarten to grade seven with plans to add grade eight from the next academic year.
Mandarin classes on Saturdays are organised for pupils from other schools.
Support from parents is strong.
Wang Huichao, 33, enrolled her daughters, aged nine and seven, in the school from the launch day.
She said the children are more self-assured after moving out of an international school in Dubai.
“My daughter knows where she comes from, she understands her skin, her hair, her family," the mother said.
“She knows her own story.”
The family has lived in Dubai for more than a decade and her husband has an educational toy business in Dragon Mart.
“My daughter has her own mind but she could not explain herself really well in English,” she said.
“She was not confident in front of teachers and other students in the international school.
“In the Chinese school, the teacher understands her.
“She meets other Chinese people, learns Chinese history, language and culture.
“This is a big deal not just for her school life but for her whole life.”
Teachers learn too
It is a new experience for teachers who have moved to Dubai from China.
“Every day I spend with my students is interesting because they are from different backgrounds,” said Zhou Jianfen, vice principal, who taught at the sister school in Hangzhou, eastern China.
Mr Liping, the school's principal, speaks of the school as an extended family.
“It has been a long dream for Chinese parents and their dream has been realised,” he said.
“Most parents received a Chinese education when they were young.
“They want their children to have the chance to learn the same.”
Sunday:
GP3 race: 12:10pm
Formula 2 race: 1:35pm
Formula 1 race: 5:10pm
Performance: Guns N' Roses
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
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Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
The years Ramadan fell in May
List of alleged parties
- May 15 2020: Boris Johnson is said to have attended a Downing Street pizza party
- 27 Nov 2020: PM gives speech at leaving do for his staff
- Dec 10 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
- Dec 13 2020: Mr Johnson and his then-fiancee Carrie Symonds throw a flat party
- Dec 14 2020: Shaun Bailey holds staff party at Conservative Party headquarters
- Dec 15 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
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Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
RESULT
Deportivo La Coruna 2 Barcelona 4
Deportivo: Perez (39'), Colak (63')
Barcelona: Coutinho (6'), Messi (37', 81', 84')
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
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