Headteachers in UAE closely follow plans to slim down A-Levels and GCSE


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Headteachers in the UAE said they were closely following plans in the UK that could result in a slimmed down A-Level and GCSE curriculum.

Pupils attending British schools could have their workload reduced this year, as part of efforts to make studying more manageable during the Covid-19 pandemic.

British officials are considering new ideas, including reduced curriculum in some subjects, exam papers with more options, and limiting exam questions.

Brendon Fulton, principal at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, said: “Reduction in content means that schools can catch up on any school time missed during school closures. Reduced content will allow pupils to focus on a narrower workload.

"We are keeping abreast of the ongoing proposed changes to the GCSE and A-Level courses for this year as a result of work missed during term three.

“For some subjects the coursework components have been reduced or removed, whilst others are looking at removing sections of work.

"As with all things currently, the situation remains quite fluid and we will adapt as required and informed by the relevant exams boards."

Edexcel Art, for example, has removed a component of their coursework. Some poetry sections were also removed from its English Literature class.

Cambridge Physical Education has dropped requirements from four activities to one. And Cambridge Drama has reduced their typical two group assignments to just one.

While some changes have already been confirmed, more are possible.

Pupils around the world lost hundreds of hours of in-person classes as Covid-19 wreaked havoc on the educational systems last year.

By May 2020, children in the UK had already lost about 20 days of schooling, while pupils in Estonia had lost close to 60 days of in-school classes.

Last month, British researchers surveyed 2,200 schools and found the average child in England was about three months behind.

Children in the UAE underwent distance learning between March and July. While most schools returned to in-person classes in August, some schools have closed again because of isolated Covid-19 cases.

This year, the Central Board of Secondary Education In India reduced coursework for pupils in grades nine to 12 by up to 30 per cent to help children complete syllabus.

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Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)

TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski

Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)

Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea

Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona

Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)

Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)

Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Best National Team of the Year: Italy 

Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello

Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)

Player Career Award: Ronaldinho

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Company profile

Name: Dukkantek 

Started: January 2021 

Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani 

Based: UAE 

Number of employees: 140 

Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service) 

Investment: $5.2 million 

Funding stage: Seed round 

Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office  

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SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities

Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails

Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies

Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments

The low down

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Feb - 198
Mar - 159
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Currently: 88

Year-end rank since turning pro
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2015 - 185
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1987

1954

1921

1888

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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THE SPECS

      

 

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The specs
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  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
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Porsche Taycan Turbo specs

Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors

Transmission: two-speed

Power: 671hp

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The Old Slave and the Mastiff

Patrick Chamoiseau

Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale

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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups

Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.

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Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.

Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.

Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.

Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.

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