Fifty Three Female Emiratis Graduate from Emirates Foundation ‘Teacher Assistants' Program

- Theoretical Program organized in collaboration with the British University of Dubai -

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 10th September 2013 – Emirates Foundation for Youth Development held a graduation ceremony today in honor of 53 Emirati women who have completed the theoretical part of the ‘Teacher Assistants' program.

Managed in collaboration with the British University of Dubai, the program, considered a major innovative initiative in the UAE's educational system, aims to train a group of unemployed Emirati women, between the ages of 18-35 and who have not completed their university education, to work as assistant teachers at local public schools.

The ‘Teacher Assistants Program', one of the leading initiatives launched by ‘Kayani', an Emirates Foundation program, was created with the objective of providing opportunities for a targeted group of the UAE society to engage in the community and to construct direct employment opportunities for youth with disability.

“In order to enrich the experience and advance the knowledge of the participants of ‘Teacher Assistants', we have divided the training and rehabilitation stages of the program into two stages, with the first being theoretical and the other practical,” said Dr. Sabha Al Shamsi, Director of the Program of Social Integration, Emirates Foundation. “During the theoretical stage, which lasted six months, the participating Emirati women were provided with key principles for working as assistant teachers, while the second stage will prepare the participants to incorporate their knowledge to actual practice at the UAE's public schools.”

She added, “The first stage of the program, which is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Education, centers on providing the participants with necessary skills, including leadership, in order to shape and strengthen their ability to advance the country's educational system in the direction it is intended to. The second stage of the program will provide the participants with best practices for building knowledge based society that is able to advance the UAE's socio-economic ambitions and objectives.”

The 53 participants in the program were divided into four training groups in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Fujairah, where the training sessions were held at various centers, including: British University of Dubai, Al Mafraq Hotel in Abu Dhabi, Hilton Hotel, Al Ain, in addition to Hilton Hotel, Al Fujairah.

Commenting on the program at the graduating ceremony, Dr. Abdullah Al Shamsi, Vice-Chancellor, British University of Dubai, said: “We celebrate today the completion of the theoretical stage of the ‘Teacher Assistants' initiative, which is considered a leap forward in the country's public educational system. This program will promote the educational system by training participants who are more apt to the requirements of the country's public school system. As for the theoretical phase of the program, the participants were equipped with the abilities to assist the youth with special disabilities. I want to thank His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of Emirates Foundation for Youth Development for his continuous support, and also the Ministry of Education and Abu Dhabi Education Council for their constant efforts.

Dr. Iman Gaad, Dean of the Education Collage and Head of the Doctorate Program at the British University of Dubai, remarked: “As part of our commitment to social development, we have collaborated with Emirates Foundation for Youth Development to launch this crucial program, which offers the best international standards in the education sector. The great commitment of the participants to completing this program shows the degree of responsibility that they bestow to the development and growth of the UAE society.”

Emirates Foundation focuses on social enterprise, thus allowing the private and public sectors in the UAE to play a crucial role in the development of socio-economic programs.