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UAE schools ask for more nurses
Head teachers in the northern Emirates have said they were ready to implement the national strategy to combat the A(H1N1) virus but are facing a shortage of nurses, with many schools sharing just one, The National has reported. 'We need at least one nurse in every school. We can't keep on waiting for a nurse to come from another school when we have an emergency at our school,' one head teacher said.
Saudi inaugurates groundbreaking university
Complete with state-of-the-art labs, the world's 14th-fastest supercomputer and a $10bn endowment, one of the biggest worldwide, the King Abdullah Science and Technology University (KAUST) was officially inaugurated yesterday by King Abdullah. KAUST's inaugural class of 374 graduate students are all on scholarships and come from around the world. Women on campus will not be required to wear an abaya and will be free to interact with men.
Bahrain schools to stay closed till Oct 4
Bahrain's ministry of education has ordered all public and private secondary schools to remain closed until October 4. All intermediate school pupils must stay away until October 11 and all primary school pupils until October 18, while schools or classes for kindergarten-age pupils and special needs centres must stay closed until November 1, having earlier been ordered shut until October 4. The decision was taken to safeguard the return of pupils to classes, particularly vulnerable groups such as young children and to alleviate pressure on the country's health services, the ministry has said.
Saudi universities reopen on Oct 3
Saudi universities are not included in the the royal decree that delayed the reopening of schools after summer holidays, and will be reopened on Oct. 3 as scheduled, Arab News has reported. An official of the Higher Education Council has said, "University students do not need any delay in restarting their studies due to swine flu pandemic as they enjoy greater immunity."
Saudi academic year set for November
Saudi authorities have decided to postpone the start of the academic year, Gulf News has quoted the official Saudi Press Agency as saying. Accordingly, high school and secondary levels will commence their studies on November 10. Kindergartens, elementary schools and special needs schools will also postpone their academic year to begin on 17 November
Egypt orders closure of foreign schools
The Egyptian government has ordered foreign schools and universities to close until October 3, over worries about swine flu, with domestic schools having already been told to delay opening until then, AFP has reported. Egyptian universities and schools had been set to begin their academic year the last week of September, but foreign ones started earlier this month.
Al Riyadh inks CS Edventures deal
Saudi Arabia-based Al Riyadh Schools has signed an agreement with PCS Middle East, a subsidiary of US-based PCS Edventures, for the design and management of technology-based laboratories for grades 4 and 7 of Al Riyadh School. PCS personnel will also teach the classes and manage the labs, in addition to holding and managing an annual challenge competition in robotics and engineering.
Dubai university postpones male campus
Zayed University has postponed the opening of a Dubai campus for male students until next year, as the location in the emirate's Knowledge Village area is too small to accommodate the facility, The National has reported. Several alternative sites for the Dubai men's campus are being considered, ZU's Provost, Dr. Daniel Johnson said. Proposals will be presented for final approval to Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the University President, he added.
Bahrain to reopen schools on Sept 27
Officials from Bahrain's Education and Health Ministries have said that the kingdom's 205 public schools will reopen for the expected 126,000 students on September 27, with strict measures in place to combat swine flu. Government schools were originally due to reopen on September 23, but that was extended to September 27, to build in an incubation buffer against any outbreak of the H1N1, the officials said.
Private firms to help manage Abu Dhabi schools
According to a pilot initiative launched by the Abu Dhabi Education Council that aims turn around failing schools, private firms will have a hand in the management of every state high school in the emirate when the new term starts next week, The National has reported. The pilot programme pairs state schools with private education consultancies to introduce the education council's reform agenda. Under the public-private partnerships, education management companies help to run existing state schools, which retain their own teachers and principals.
Kuwait schools to get medical clinics
Kuwait will have 250 elementary schools equipped with medical clinics before October, according to the country's Ministry of Education. Certain facilities at elementary schools will be transformed by the ministry to be used as medical clinics, including art classes, which already come equipped with sinks and are spacious enough to accommodate medical equipment, Kuwait Times has reported.
Saudi private schools get ok to teach in English
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education has approved English curricula for non-Arabic language and Islamic subjects in Saudi private schools that adopt accredited international education programmes, Saudi Gazette has reported. The new system applies only to Saudi private schools and not international schools for expatriates, the ministry said. Schools must obtain preliminary approval from any reputable international authority that accredits international education programs, before introducing the new education system.
Intel Teach trains 170,000 Arab teachers
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation in the UAE and processor manufacturer Intel have said that the Intel Teach Programme has trained 170,000 K-12 teachers across the Arab World since its launch 18 months ago. The programme aims to integrate project-based learning and educational technologies into teaching. The joint initiative has trained teachers in a number of countries, including Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and launches soon in the UAE. It aims to train over two million teachers by 2011.
Abu Dhabi launches 'Sustainable Schools'
The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi has launched its new Al Madaris Al Mustadama (Sustainable Schools) Initiative thorugh a a four-year sponsorship agreement with BP. The initiative aims to help schools in Abu Dhabi to carry out 'green audits' and find ways to reduce their ecological footprint.
BITS Pilani launches Masters programmes
BITS, Pilani-Dubai, a branch campus of BITS, Pilani-India, has announced eight Masters and other programmes designed for working professionals in the UAE. The new programmes, which have received KHDA's initial approval, include an MBA in Engineering and Technology Management and IT enabled services management, ME in Microelectronics, Software Systems, Design engineering and Biotechnology and MSc (Tech) in Engineering technology and Information Systems.
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