New teachers to learn Emirati culture

Induction comes as part of debut Teachers’ Cultural Awareness Day

Dubai: The first Teachers’ Cultural Awareness Day (TCAD) will be launched on Wednesday by the UAE Ministry of Education in cooperation with the Shaikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU).

The TCAD is aimed at supporting new teachers in government schools for the upcoming 2017-2018 academic year, to enhance their knowledge and commitment towards the Emirati history, culture and heritage.

The debut edition will commence with a first phase addressing around 500 expatriate teachers using the context of the SMCCU in Bastakia as the site of learning.

Teachers, who are vital to the UAE for realising the ambitious Vision 2021, will be introduced to the unique culture of the emirates, including its traditions, societal structures, customs and religious practices. This insight will enable the new teachers to better understand Emirati students, appreciate their aspirations and those of their parents, and enable them to reach their full potential, as young citizens and future leaders.

The SMCCU has become an important actor in the UAE school community for its educational activities, which reached more than 60 schools last year and over 14,000 students and educators.

Designed to mentor, stimulate and create a sense of belonging to the UAE, the TCAD will promote an environment in which experiencing the Emirati culture will ensure a mutual interest of growth for both educators and institutions in order to build the national leaders of tomorrow.

The first batch of 100 teachers will enjoy the Cultural Awareness Day on Wednesday followed by more teachers in the following four weeks. The TCAD has been identified as one of the essential components of the overall induction programme delivered by the Ministry of Education to the new government school teachers.

Source: Gulf News