Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
As the UAE celebrates its inaugural Emirati Day for Education on February 28, an occasion dedicated to honouring the relentless efforts of educators and institutions shaping the nation’s educational landscape, for the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), the day marks the culmination of a three-year effort to redesign policies affecting over 200,000 students in Abu Dhabi’s private and charter schools.
Established in 2005, ADEK serves as the sector regulator for Abu Dhabi, overseeing private and, more recently, charter schools, while public schools remain under the purview of the Ministry of Education.
In 2021, recognising the need to adapt to evolving educational demands, ADEK embarked on a comprehensive review of its existing school and nursery policies – an effort spearheaded by Sylvie Wald, ADEK’s Education Policy Director, and her team.
“One of our main priorities was to ensure that the policies not only improved the quality of the education sector, but also ensured that everybody was feeling well and comfortable in their community, allowing every student to thrive,” Wald told Aletihad in an interview.
The revised framework, finalised in September 2024, comprises 39 policies for schools and 27 for early education institutions, structured around four pillars: Wellbeing, Teaching and Learning, Health and Safety, and Governance.
Turning Crisis into Opportunity
While much has been said about the remarkable outcomes of these reforms, the sheer effort behind the scenes – the long hours, consultations, and rigorous evaluations – is often overlooked.
When ADEK embarked on its comprehensive policy review in 2021, the global education sector was grappling with numerous disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Wald explained. Schools had navigated closures, hybrid learning, and mounting concerns over student wellbeing, which laid bare the limitations of the existing policies and forced educators and regulators alike to rethink how education could continue under unprecedented conditions.
“There was a lot of change specifically due to COVID, and that was one of the main instigators. We were looking at how to manage education and ensure learning continued on-site during the COVID period – there was a lot that was not being addressed in the existing policies that we needed,” Wald said.
The push for reform was also driven by the need to modernise outdated policies. Wald explained that, within ADEK, as well as from the schooling sector, there was consensus that some policies needed an upgrade, while others were no longer relevant and had to be reconsidered or removed entirely.
“As a general rule, the old policies for schools dated back to 2014. A few had been updated here and there, but the majority of them kind of played out for quite some time. At the same time, there are also new trends in education that we need to respond to as well,” she said.
Recognising the scale of these challenges and prioritising student interests and wellbeing, ADEK adopted a methodical approach to policy development. The revised policies were based on extensive research, aligned with international best practices, and informed by insights from key local stakeholders, including school principals and partner government entities.
The first drafts were released in early 2024, followed by a series of 20 webinars that engaged 4,359 members of the school community, offering a platform for discussion, feedback, and iterative refinements.
The final product, structured around wellbeing, teaching, health, and governance, aims to future-proof education while addressing often overlooked gaps.
A Foundation of Wellbeing
A standout feature of the policy reform is its deliberate and comprehensive focus on student wellbeing, driven by a growing global recognition that a supportive environment directly influences academic achievement. Wald emphasised that ADEK’s policies now “permeate every aspect of school life”, from mental health support to nutritional guidelines and physical activity mandates.
“Traditionally in the education sector, we’d always looked at education purely from student performance and an academic perspective – schools are there to prepare students for the marketplace, make sure they succeed, go to the best universities in the world, and then they come out as leaders. Things have changed so much since then,” she said.
“At the end of the day, a lot of the education research showed that children learn best when they feel good, when they are well, when they are eating well, when they are physically active.”
In practical terms, this means schools are now expected to prioritise social-emotional learning, promote healthy lifestyles, proper nutrition, and actively monitor students’ mental health. Teachers are trained in recognising signs of stress or distress, while parents are encouraged to maintain open channels of communication with educators.
This holistic approach aligns with findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which, in 2015, introduced wellbeing assessments to explore the correlation between student wellness and academic outcomes.
Dragana Zivanovic, a child psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with teen and preteen students, welcomed the policy changes, noting that throughout her career, she has seen many children struggle with mental health challenges that often go unnoticed in academic settings.
“So many children experience anxiety, stress, or emotional difficulties, but in school environments where mental health isn’t a priority, these struggles can go unnoticed,” she told Aletihad.
“When schools actively monitor mental health and integrate emotional support into daily learning, it not only helps students cope better but also improves their ability to focus and engage in the classroom,” Zivanovic added.
Building Digital Resilience and Inclusive Pathways
Beyond student wellbeing, ADEK’s policy overhaul introduced several first-of-their-kind regulations aimed at strengthening digital safety, improving school transparency, and ensuring better career guidance for students.
One of the most notable additions is the Digital Policy, which responds to the increasing role of technology in education and the growing risks children face online, shifting from basic protection to proactive skill-building.
A report from the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) found that 72% of children worldwide have encountered at least one type of cyber threat, while one in five has faced bullying or harassment, with the Middle East and Latin America reporting the highest number of threats.
Wald emphasised that while protecting children from online risks is a priority, the policy also aims to equip them with the skills to navigate and use technology effectively, recognising that digital literacy is essential in an increasingly tech-driven world.
“It’s really about having a policy that focuses on not only stepping up that safeguarding to make sure that children are safe in the digital space, but that they also are given the opportunities to build those competencies so that they themselves are leaders when it comes to the ability to use technology for good,” she said.
Parents have also welcomed ADEK’s new policies, particularly the increased focus on digital safety and career guidance, both of which directly impact students beyond the classroom.
“Online safety is one of my biggest concerns as a parent,” Sonya G. – whose twin girls attend a private school in Abu Dhabi – told Aletihad.
“At home, we can set boundaries, but at school, they interact with classmates who may have different levels of awareness about online risks. Hearing about these policies gives me peace of mind because it sounds like they’re ensuring my kids are protected while teaching them how to use technology for smart purposes,” she added.
Her friend, Chita C., whose kids attend the same school, echoed the sentiment.
“You can’t keep kids away from technology, but you can teach them how to use it safely. They’re surrounded by technology every day, so schools need to help them understand both the good and the bad that comes with it,” she told Aletihad.
Another policy milestone is the introduction of clear guidelines on co-education, an area that previously lacked defined standards.
“We have different types of schools here, and it’s really about your preference,” Wald said.
“If you want your child to attend a single-gender school, there’s a market for that. If not, if you want them to be in a coeducational environment, that’s also possible. But it’s the first time that we actually give schools clarity about what that means.”
Schools must now specify their gender structure in their licenses and display it transparently on their websites, ensuring parents can make informed choices without having to conduct extensive inquiries, she added.
The Career Guidance Policy is another first, shifting the responsibility of university and career preparation from external services to the schools themselves.
“It’s really just about making sure that schools are preparing students not just in terms of giving them advice, but a lot of times parents are having to go outside and pay for services that help their children enter universities. And now we’re saying, no, it’s actually the school’s responsibility to aid students through that process. And we’re not talking just the top students, every single student,” Wald explained.
Leadership, Community, and a Legacy of Learning
ADEK’s education reforms have been shaped not just by research and stakeholder collaboration but by a broader national vision driven by the UAE’s leadership, according to Wald.
“The leadership has been our guiding light in terms of the way they've positioned themselves in the world, diplomatically, as leaders in technology, and the different areas that they're investing in as well. So we've really made sure that we are aligning the education system with that vision when it comes to the community as well. This is absolutely the Year of Community,” she said.
On the inaugural Emirati Day for Education, Wald reflected on the broader role of education in shaping both academic success, as well as the personal growth and future aspirations of every student.
“For Emirati Education Day, our wish is to make sure that every student is going to thrive in their own environment, with their own goals, their personal wishes, and that they have an entire education system - whether it's the parents, whether it's the teachers, whether it's the school leadership - behind them supporting each and every one of their dreams,” she said.
