ABU DHABI // Public school principals and teachers have welcomed changes to the secondary school curriculum that puts more emphasis on science subjects.
However, they are concerned that schools will not have enough time to prepare for the reforms – due to be implemented in the next academic year.
The Abu Dhabi Education Council recently announced that pupils entering Grade 11 in August will no longer be given the option of choosing between a science or humanities stream. Instead, they will study the same unified curriculum.
This new model ensures that each pupil will spend 21 out of 45 periods a week studying science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) subjects. These subjects will make up 55 per cent of their final grade, giving more weight to Stem classes.
The reform aims to equip youngsters with the skills and knowledge needed to enter federal universities, without having to go through a foundation year. It also focuses on preparing them for the job market.
“The plan is to really do something on the ground to help those students before they graduate and join universities,” said Dr Alaaeldin Aly, Adec’s knowledge management division manager.
He said: “The whole world lacks Stem (graduates), not just us. So the gap is huge.”
Hassan Youssef, principal of Hamdan bin Mohammed Secondary School in Abu Dhabi, said the revised curriculum would offer pupils a choice of elective subjects – something they have not previously been able to do with their preset schedules of 11 compulsory classes under the track system.
“Now the students will have a lot of choices,” said Mr Youssef. “They get a chance to choose the subjects that will align with their future career. They might think, ‘I’d like to be in engineering,’ or something like that, so they might choose classes suited to that profession.”
Although all children will be required to take maths and physics, they will have to sign up for elective Stem classes.
Ghada Fahad, a principal in Al Ain, said the revised curriculum “looks good”, but questioned whether staff will be prepared in time to deliver it.
“There is the willingness, but to what extent are the teachers really ready, and is that time frame enough? That is the question,” said Mrs Fahad.
“Are the teachers really qualified? Will they be developed for these skills, with all these high expectations?”
Adec said teachers will receive training in advance of the new curriculum, but it has not released details of how or when that training will take place. It has said, however, that the revised curriculum will be implemented over five years.
Judith Finnemore, managing consultant with Focal Point Educational Consultancy, said she hoped Adec had a pool of qualified teachers and that it would “not just put a general science teacher in place and do a bit of ‘massaging’”.
“Teachers of the sciences and physics – good ones that interest children and bring the subject alive versus those who would read and explain the textbook – are in extremely short supply globally,” said Mrs Finnemore.
rpennington@thenational.ae
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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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
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
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.
Results
United States beat UAE by three wickets
United States beat Scotland by 35 runs
UAE v Scotland – no result
United States beat UAE by 98 runs
Scotland beat United States by four wickets
Fixtures
Sunday, 10am, ICC Academy, Dubai - UAE v Scotland
Admission is free
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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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.