Teachers will start using traditional stories and trips to the theatre to get pupils more "actively engaged" in learning Arabic and raise the standards at public schools.
The reforms, which will also include teaching English at kindergarten to prepare pupils for primary school, are part of a wider plan to reduce the use of rote learning and memorisation and introduce more modern language teaching methods.
The revamped teaching strategies will be used initially in schools taking part in the Madares Al Ghad, or Schools of the Future, programme, which has seen dozens of government schools introduce reformed teaching and management practices over the past year.
The new materials for teaching Arabic will be introduced this year.
Dr Vincent Ferrandino, the policy and planning director at the Ministry of Education, said it was "important the students come out of the system with the ability to communicate effectively in Arabic".
"The students are going to be more involved in small group activities and research activities - things that are more engaging than just sitting in straight rows behind their desks listening to the teacher."
The level of knowledge that students should have in each grade has been identified, and the new curriculum aims to integrate Arabic learning with the teaching of other subjects such as mathematics, geography and Islamic studies.
In a statement, the Ministry of Education said the new Arabic teaching methods aimed to make the subject more enjoyable.
"We do not need more 'parrots' who do not know the essence of their native language," it said.
"We aspire to build the new Arab generation who love their language and love to learn it and enjoy reading it and are able to communicate in it both orally and in writing."
The importance of students developing adequate skills in their native language has been acknowledged by a proposal for a new Arabic Common Educational Proficiency Examination (Cepa) for students entering state universities.
The proposed Arabic examination, announced this year, would be taken by students when they started university or college or part of the way through their course.
There are already Arabic tests at Government universities and colleges, but the Cepa test aims to bring them under a single umbrella to ensure standards are applied consistently.
If students perform poorly in the proposed test, trials of which are likely to begin in the 2009-2010 academic year, they could have to take part in extra Arabic lessons as part of a foundation programme.
The announcement about improvements in Arabic teaching follows concern at the highest level. At a Cabinet meeting this year, Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said he wanted more done to ensure Emiratis spoke and wrote Arabic well.
Graduates are unlikely to improve their Arabic skills at university without extra lessons, since federal universities and many private higher education institutions teach courses in English.
English will also be given a higher priority and taught at all Government kindergartens in an attempt to capitalise on the enthusiasm and aptitude young people have for learning languages.
"The project also bridges the gap between kindergartens and the first education cycle by preparing the children to join the first grade at schools," the ministry said.
dbardsley@thenational.ae
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Third Test
Result: India won by 203 runs
Series: England lead five-match series 2-1
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
Match info
Manchester United 1 (Van de Beek 80') Crystal Palace 3 (Townsend 7', Zaha pen 74' & 85')
Man of the match Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
Honeymoonish
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
