Revealed: Dubai’s plans for an Education Revolution
Under Rahhal project, students can study part-time and attend numerous schools at the same time.
Dubai is looking to pilot a new project to revolutionise the education sector as part of the city’s 10X Initiative.
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is seeking to launch its Rahhal project which aims to set up a “flexible, accessible and sustainable model that harnesses all the knowledge, skills and experiences that the community has to offer and makes them available to any age”.
Through Rahhal, students who wish to study part-time at mainstream school and part-time elsewhere in the community will be able to do so while those who prefer to study at two, three or even four different schools will also be able to.
Older children who wish to learn “on the job” – whether one job or six jobs – will have that option available to them. Parents who prefer to educate their children at home, or within their own community, will be free to do so.
Adults who wish to continue learning can design their own programs, according to their needs and schedules.
Dr Abdulla Al Karam, chairman and director general of the KHDA, said: “We’re now putting the prototypes and processes in place to pilot the program by September 2018, this in consideration with the beginning of the 2018/19 academic year.
“In May 2019, we’re going to bring our partners and stakeholders together to review what went well and what could have gone better. At that point, we’ll be ready to put together future recommendations and roll out Rahhal to all residents in Dubai.”
Rahhal provides an alternative approach to education through a framework that can be customised to the needs of each specific learner, he added.
“The wonderful aspect of Rahhal is that is has been inspired by our partners in the community, who we consulted during the ideation phase and who we continue to consult while implementing the initiative,” Al Karam said.
“Our partners include parents of neuro-typical students, gifted and talented students and ‘students of determination’, parents who homeschool their children, education consultants, policy think-tanks, private-sector organisations and other employers, universities, local government bodies, school principals and teachers, qualification and certification organizations, and of course, students.”
Overseen by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the Dubai 10X Initiative seeks to place Dubai Government entities 10 years ahead of the rest of the world in all sectors, propelling the emirate into the future by implementing today what other cities around the world will be implementing 10 years from now.
Source: Arabian Business