ADEC to roll out Abu Dhabi School Model this year

Abu Dhabi / WAM

The Abu Dhabi School Model (ADSM) will be rolled out to Grade 9 public school students this year in line with the Abu Dhabi Education Council’s (ADEC’s) 10-year strategic plan to improve the quality of education in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and as part of the Cycle 3 restructuring model.
During a press conference held on Monday, Dr Karima Almazroui, ADEC’s acting P-12 Executive Director, spoke about some of the changes expected to take place in Cycle 3 public schools, as part of the ADSM plan.
“Since its initiation, the ADSM has helped pave the way for schools on how to deliver student-oriented methods as per 21st century teaching and learning skills. These hands-on applied methods of learning will not only help youth excel in their higher education subjects, but will also prepare them for future challenges and prosperous career paths,” Dr. Almazroui said.
In an effort to develop bi-literacy and 21st Century skills, Grade 9 public schools will be teaching subjects such as Mathematics and Science in English for the first time. English Medium Teachers have been especially recruited for the task, whereas the curriculum and textbooks have been developed in alignment with ADSM’s mission to foster a student-centred learning approach.
As part of the ADSM’s pedagogical approach to incorporate technology and digital literacy into Cycle 3 coursework, Grade 9 students will also be introduced to “Digital Technology and Innovation” this year as a core subject.
Meanwhile, Grade 10 students will be placed on two levels in both Mathematics and Physics as part of the ADSM’s new learning outcomes. Their placements will be based on previous performance standards as well as choices of students and parents.
Explaining the matter further Dr Almazroui said, “ADEC honours the choices of students and their parents. We have two levels in Mathematics and Science for each subject, whatever the student and/or parent feels is more applicable for the individual student will be considered alongside the student’s overall performance level in that particular subject. All learning outcomes are benchmarked against international standards.”
Additionally, 29,000 students from Grades 10, 11 and 12 will be offered Career Guidance classes in efforts to further support them in selecting the right type of electives that will help shape their future.
“Psychology teachers have received special training on the career guidance curriculum and its related textbooks. Career Guidance is a core subject that is taught across Grades 10, 11 and 12 once a week. We hope to change the culture across schools, where students are given the responsibility alongside their counsellors to select the right career path for themselves.”
Grades 11 and 12 students will also be receiving textbooks for the first time in Geo-Science. Teachers have received teacher guidebooks that will help structure the curriculum for them along the way.
“Geo-Science has been proven to be an intriguing subject for students to study, and is part of the electives students can choose in Grades 11 and 12,” Dr Almazroui explained. She further said that some of the topics studied includes important information related to the UAE and its effects on the nation.
The education expert emphasised that all supplemental subject curriculum material is now available online for more than 120,000 students across all grades. The education council, students, parents and teachers are granted access to online subscriptions in Mathematics, Literacy and Numeracy.
“These online subscriptions will provide school principals, teachers and parent’s accurate and live data on how a particular student is performing in Mathematics, Literacy, and Numeracy. More than 120,000 students across all cycles will have access to the system. According to the latest educational research, if students spend as little as 30 minutes each week on these online interactive resources, their overall performance improves by two levels,” the P-12 expert added.
Data helps provide a solid platform for school leaders and education experts in taking informed decisions about school improvement planning and progress monitoring, while identifying the initiatives that will raise a student’s overall performance level.
“We wish all students, teachers, school leaders, parents and the community at large a wonderful, successful and happy new academic year in line with ADEC’s slogan for the new academic year ‘My School, My Happiness’. With any new challenges we are ready to take on new learnings and add to the existing model, which will continue to strive for quality results and improvements,” Dr. Almazroui said in conclusion.