It costs hundreds of millions of dirhams and can come as an unpleasant shock to school leavers.
So the decision to abolish the foundation year, which provides English-language coaching to thousands of federal univerity students, has proved popular with many. But it also raises a question – how best to replace it?
Introduced in the 1990s, the foundation year is a bridging programme for new university students to make sure their English meets degree entry requirements. It also teaches Arabic, maths and information technology, but it is English – the language used to teach in almost all universities – that takes the most time and resources.
For students, many of whom come from schools and homes where the main language is Arabic, spending the first year mastering English can prove a testing introduction to higher education.
Umm Ahmed, for one, will be happy to see it go. The mother of three boys, she studied business at Al Ain University and graduated without a foundation year.
“When I was a freshman, I faced difficulties coping with the new system and environment, which is expected,” says the 38-year-old from Abu Dhabi. Within a few months, though, she had risen to the new challenges.
Now it is the turn of her eldest son Ahmed, in his final year at the Cambridge High School, to prepare for university. There is no need for Ahmed to undergo an extra year of studies, his mother says.
As she puts it: “It’s the responsibility of schools and teachers to prepare students for the university life. When you are a new employee in any company you ought to experience new things.”
When the foundation year is abolished in 2018, the responsibility for ensuring students meet degree standards will fall back on the school system. Many fear they will struggle to rise to the challenge as things stand.
Figures released late last year through Pisa, the Programme for International Student Assessment, ranked the UAE 44 out of 65 in reading literacy. The international league table, produced by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, looked at the skills of 11,500 pupils aged 15 in 375 public and private schools across the country. About half of these were Emirati and therefore eligible to enrol in the three federal universities.
More local studies also show how much needs to be done. In its annual report, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai found that only four out of 10 students had a good command of English, and only 16 per cent were outstanding.
Rami Hamdan, who heads the foundation programme at UAE University in Al Ain, is a supporter of the extra year. “It develops 21st-century skills imperative to success in higher education,” he says.
“These skills include problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation, and are very much embedded in the curriculum.
“In addition, students are also able to develop career and life skills such as time management, leadership, accountability, flexibility and adaptability.”
The university’s own research shows that nearly eight out of 10 students – 77 per cent – need additional English support because they lack the necessary language skills, particularly reading and writing, to study for their degrees.
In other subjects, seven out of 10 need extra help with maths to study at undergraduate level and 55 per cent take Arabic classes. The figures, Mr Hamdan says, make the case for the foundation year.
Not all students require a foundation year. At the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi, students are tested on admission. Depending on their level of competence, they might spend between one and four terms taking extra classes to bring them up to degree-admission standards. To graduate from the programme the students must earn a certain grade in the International English Language Testing System, which is part owned by the British Council. For those who struggle even to meet the foundation entry standards, the HCT also offers pre-foundation courses.
One concern is that those who are able to afford private education have an advantage when going to university. Amal Thabet, who taught in a government high school in Ajman for 15 years and now works for a university in Sharjah, says privately educated students are “unfairly privileged”.
But those educated in state schools may excel in certain areas, even if their English is not strong, she says.
“Those who graduate from government schools where Arabic is enforced are proven to be more profound in what they know in subjects like calculus, geography and biology,” Ms Thabet says.
Even so, the challenge for non-English speakers is evident in how school standards are assessed. According to Abu Dhabi Education Council only one Arabic school is rated "good". Every school rated "good" or above teaches in English.
Ms Thabet remembers one pupil at her former public school who achieved 97 per cent overall on graduation, only to fail his first term at university.
“This shouldn’t be the case, she says. “Students can get depressed and in many cases go off and change their course to law, for example, because it is taught in Arabic.”
Her view is that students required to study in a language that is not their own lose their creativity.
“In Germany they teach in German. In Japan they teach in Japanese, and their nations are very productive.
“I have noticed how some students who graduated from Arabic-taught government schools used to read poetry and write stories, but after two years of being immmersed in an English curriculum they lost their touch and relationship with Arabic,” she says. At the same time, scrapping the foundation year without a substantial improvement in the teaching of English and related foundation-year subjects in schools increases the risks that more students will drop out or fail when they reach university.
What Umm Ahmed would like to see is a better balance between the two languages in the education system.
As a mother she wants to make sure her sons can speak their native tongue eloquently but also wants them to be fluent in English so they can continue their studies.
First she took Hamad, 14, and Khalid, 13, out of their English-speaking private school and put them into the state system. But she was not happy with the results and will go back to the private system next year.
“Both of them are suffering. I am going to change to private school next year,” she says.
munderwood@thenational.ae
aalhameli@thenational.ae
West Indies v India - Third ODI
India 251-4 (50 overs)
Dhoni (78*), Rahane (72), Jadhav (40)
Cummins (2-56), Bishoo (1-38)
West Indies 158 (38.1 overs)
Mohammed (40), Powell (30), Hope (24)
Ashwin (3-28), Yadav (3-41), Pandya (2-32)
India won by 93 runs
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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
Titan Sports Academy:
Programmes: Judo, wrestling, kick-boxing, muay thai, taekwondo and various summer camps
Location: Inside Abu Dhabi City Golf Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Telephone: 971 50 220 0326
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
HAEMOGLOBIN DISORDERS EXPLAINED
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
The most severe type of the condition is typically inherited when both parents are carriers. Those patients often require regular blood transfusions - about 450 of the UAE's 2,000 thalassaemia patients - though frequent transfusions can lead to too much iron in the body and heart and liver problems.
The condition mainly affects people of Mediterranean, South Asian, South-East Asian and Middle Eastern origin. Saudi Arabia recorded 45,892 cases of carriers between 2004 and 2014.
A World Health Organisation study estimated that globally there are at least 950,000 'new carrier couples' every year and annually there are 1.33 million at-risk pregnancies.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research
%3Cp%3EThe%20Zayed%20Centre%20for%20Research%20is%20a%20partnership%20between%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%2C%20University%20College%20London%20and%20Great%20Ormond%20Street%20Hospital%20Children%E2%80%99s%20Charity%20and%20was%20made%20possible%20thanks%20to%20a%20generous%20%C2%A360%20million%20gift%20in%202014%20from%20Sheikha%20Fatima%20bint%20Mubarak%2C%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20General%20Women's%20Union%2C%20President%20of%20the%20Supreme%20Council%20for%20Motherhood%20and%20Childhood%2C%20and%20Supreme%20Chairwoman%20of%20the%20Family%20Development%20Foundation.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
