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School Support Unit in the UAE
The Armenian community weekly schools in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi (UAE) are
functioning for more than 25 years now.
The initial core needed for forming these schools have remained the same, but the
methods, challenges and prospects have undergone many changes.
The Armenian school forges a remarkable bond where each student becomes the
concern of the entire group. It enhances the sense of belonging to the Armenian
nation.
Azad-Hye has decided to pay more attention to our two
Armenian weekly schools in the UAE (Sharjah and Abu Dhabi). For this purpose, a
School Support Unit (Վարժարանի Աջակցութեան Միաւոր) has been established with the
members of Azad-Hye Group and friends.
The unit is a kind of forum for providing new ideas and constant support to the
already ongoing efforts to improve the educational level of the school.
We all recognize that there is room for improvement and we all know that this is
a common concern and therefore we need to work together in this respect.
The School Support Unit will help highlight the concerns. It will work closely
with the School Board of Trustees. The task in front of the Board of Trustees is
far bigger than anyone can imagine. We all need to support the Board and ensure
the improvement of our school. We believe that our Unit will add something in
this process.
Here are some of the ideas that instigated the creation
of the School Support Unit:
- Create awareness about the role of the current Armenian weekly schools in
Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. Encourage all parents to send their children there. Reach
out to families with children who haven't been involved yet in our school system.
- Contribute to improve the level of the school by suggesting new and modern
educational methods and enable contact with educators from abroad who can help
in this process.
- Suggest ideas for developing the involvement of the children in school
activities in an attracting way, beyond the usual routine.
- Foster the use of the Armenian language amongst the students.
- Attract the attention of people in the community who can provide support and
can take active role in supporting the school.
- Bring the freshly graduated students into contact with the school in order to
build up on knowledge and skills acquired during earlier times. Provide viable
options for keeping the graduates close to the school and cater for their
post-elementary level Armenian language needs.
- Ensure flexibility in adopting new ideas and ways of making the school a
lively hub for the children. Teachers and parents would be welcome to provide
suggestions and feedback.
- Inform parents about the curriculum or school policy.
- Create close relationship between the parents and the school administration.
Increase direct and indirect contacts between parents and the administration.
- Understand that our school is not homogeneous. There are certain
differentiated needs that cannot be addressed by standard approach.
- Provide honest word and explanation about the feasibility of establishing
Armenian daily school and the challenges in this regard.
- Plan for a well-defined, long established, educational structure even on the
level of the weekly school.
- Understand that there are many options for Armenian parents in UAE in relation
with school age activities in everyday life outside the school. The challenge is
to create a parallel or uniquely appealing environment inside or around the
school.
- Encourage a kind of education that teaches creativity, independence, and
critical thinking, rather that learning by memory.
- Create opportunities when we can periodically come together and discuss the
problems, face them clearly and devise a strategy, but also to rejoice in the
accomplishments of the students and their teachers.
- Understand that quality education is closely related to resources and the way
the existing resources are used.
- Demand accountability from administration and the Board of Trustees by talking
about their plans, asking about the problems and letting them know that their
problems are also ours.
- Satisfy the demands of the larger environment where we live (UAE).
- Promote the idea of considering the school as part of our collective property.
- Declare the schools as one of our important resources, thus encourage the
Armenian population to be focused on the school as a priority.
- Create opportunities for educating the parents, parallel to school times,
since the majority of the parents stay idly around and do not go home during the
3-4 hours of the Armenian weekly school.
The above reflects some of our ideas in this regard. The
Board of Trustees of both Armenian schools and individuals involved in the
educational process were aware of our interest in forming the Unit. This
underlines our belief that the educational concern is a mutual one and we all
have stakes in it. We hope that you would contribute accordingly. Armenian
text to be prepared soon.
School Support Unit
Վարժարանի Աջակցութեան Միաւոր
Sharjah, 27 February 2009
SCHOOL
SUPPORT UNIT'S FORUM: POST YOUR IDEAS HERE
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