Perhaps they are troublemakers, perhaps a hot temper has seen them bounce from one playground fight to another, but a group of difficult male students from one Ras al Kaimah school have been learning to see life from a different angle through a photography workshop.
The class is part of the Hands on Learning pilot program, which has been running at Saeed bin Jubair Boys Secondary School since 2014. The scheme was launched by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research in response to a 2013 study on male student dropouts in the UAE.
The research found a combination of negative school factors playing a large role in students’ decision to skip classes and ultimately drop out of school. Risk factors include a low socio-economic background, poorly educated or uninvolved parents and de-motivating school experiences marked by unsupportive teachers and disruptive peers.
Between 2006 and 2007 in RAK, the last study that figures are available for, which was conducted by Dr Natasha Ridge, executive director of the foundation, 14 per cent of boys had dropped out of school compared to 2.5 per cent of girls.
The pilot scheme seeks to re-engaged those at risk from dropping out through a learning programme that creates a safe and comfortable environment and gets them actively involved in hands-on classes that have so far included building, landscaping, renovation and art projects. Eleven students between 14 and 18 from the school took part on this latest class, which was also part of the sixth annual Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival.
The students spend one day each week in the HoL classroom located in the school. Guy Brooksbank, an American photographer who is an Honorary Guest Artist at the festival, this week taught students how to take better photos with their mobile phones.
“They did not only learn how to take photos but also they learned how to be patient, find inspiration, see things from a different angle, seize the moment and explore their culture in a different way,” said Mr Brooksbank.
The program is also designed to help the teenagers develop critical life skills such as collaboration, leadership, problem solving, resilience, communication and empathy.
“We try to connect what they take in school with real life to clarify why it’s important to attend school and be educated, as well as help them to become more organised, improve their self-esteem, be more productive and creative, enjoy learning and achieve success at school,” said Sahar El Asad, research associate at the Foundation.
During the class meetings, students are self-directed and encouraged to be creative, thinking of their own ways to build meaningful projects that can serve them, their schools and their communities
“[The students] are the troublemakers at school, they used to fight with their peers and teachers so we try to reengage them in school,” said Ms El Asad.
Dr Ridge told The National that the programme works to address this disengagement.
"Essentially, boys in public secondary school feel demotivated as they do not see how school links to their future life and because lessons are very academic with very little practical components," she said.
"Often they check out mentally from school early on in secondary school and then start acting up and causing trouble, often to hide the fact that they don't really understand what is going on or because they see no point to it.
The programme, she said, pushes them to take responsibility for their own behaviour and to address the mindsets that might be holding them back, "whether that be constantly arguing with teachers or being very shy or looking for conflict and holding grudges against other students".
"We also emphasize life skills such as cooking and cleaning and understanding healthy eating and why it is important for life," she said.
According to Dr Ridge, nearly all of the students emerge from the program engaged and ready to go places, such as university, which they had never even considered before.
"We also teach them English so that they will be confident in broader society and more able to get a job later on," she said.
The foundation is still fine-tuning the program and working on coming up with an affordable, sustainable model that can be easily replicated and rolled out across the country.
"In particular, the program hinges heavily upon having an artisan teacher who can teach the boys trade skills and a guidance counselor who works with them on the soft skills part of the program," said Dr Ridge.
This week's workshop also included a field trip to the historic Jazirat Al Hamra fishing village where the students had the chance to take pictures of a 17th century archaeological site.
_____________
Read more:
Parents voice anger as Abu Dhabi school hit by deafening construction noise
_____________
“This is the first time I have visited this place and its very old and unique. The workshop made me look at the things around me in a different way and focus on the small details,” said Ahmad Al Bloushi, 14, a student in the programme.
“I joined the programme this year and I learned so many things. I found out that I love farming and seeing the plants grow. It helped me concentrate more in school and encouraged me to be more focused and organised,” he said.
“When I grow up I want to be an architect to help in building the country and serve the community."
Another student, Khalifa Al Ghafiri, 17, said that he would like to become an instructor in the programme in order to encourage other students and help them in achieving high grades.
“I joined the programme in 2015, and I learned how to respect others, take responsibility and be patient. These skills have helped me become a better person and achieve more in life and school.”
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
|
1.
|
United States
|
|
2.
|
China
|
|
3.
|
UAE
|
|
4.
|
Japan
|
|
5
|
Norway
|
|
6.
|
Canada
|
|
7.
|
Singapore
|
|
8.
|
Australia
|
|
9.
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
10.
|
South Korea
|
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESmartCrowd%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiddiq%20Farid%20and%20Musfique%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%2F%20PropTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24650%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2035%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVarious%20institutional%20investors%20and%20notable%20angel%20investors%20(500%20MENA%2C%20Shurooq%2C%20Mada%2C%20Seedstar%2C%20Tricap)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Company Profile
Company name: Big Farm Brothers
Started: September 2020
Founders: Vishal Mahajan and Navneet Kaur
Based: Dubai Investment Park 1
Industry: food and agriculture
Initial investment: $205,000
Current staff: eight to 10
Future plan: to expand to other GCC markets
Your rights as an employee
The government has taken an increasingly tough line against companies that fail to pay employees on time. Three years ago, the Cabinet passed a decree allowing the government to halt the granting of work permits to companies with wage backlogs.
The new measures passed by the Cabinet in 2016 were an update to the Wage Protection System, which is in place to track whether a company pays its employees on time or not.
If wages are 10 days late, the new measures kick in and the company is alerted it is in breach of labour rules. If wages remain unpaid for a total of 16 days, the authorities can cancel work permits, effectively shutting off operations. Fines of up to Dh5,000 per unpaid employee follow after 60 days.
Despite those measures, late payments remain an issue, particularly in the construction sector. Smaller contractors, such as electrical, plumbing and fit-out businesses, often blame the bigger companies that hire them for wages being late.
The authorities have urged employees to report their companies at the labour ministry or Tawafuq service centres — there are 15 in Abu Dhabi.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
