American Education in the United Arab Emirates Issue 1 2015

Why Parents Choose American Curriculum Education in the UAE ‫صوت الجمهور – لماذا يختار‬ ‫أولياء األمور التعليم بالمنهج‬ ‫األمريكي في اإلمارات‬ ‫العربية المتحدة‬ each UAE magazine and KDSL surveyed parents of American Curriculum school students in the UAE to learn why they selected American Curriculum for their child or children. The following results and individual feedback from 54 respondents reveals insightful commentary as to why parents in the UAE are choosing American Curriculum schools. َ )Teach UAE( ‫) و تعليم اإلمارات‬KDSL( ‫ام بين كي دي إس إل‬ ‫باستطالع آراء أولياء أمور طالب المدارس ذات المنهج األمريكي‬ ‫في اإلمارات العربية المتحدة عن سبب اختيارهم للمنهج األمريكي‬ ‫ألطفالهم. فيما يلي نتائج وتغذية راجعة فردية من 45 من‬ ‫المستطلعين تبين تعليقات ثاقبة عن أسباب اختيار أولياء األمور في اإلمارات‬ ٍ ّ .‫العربية المتحدة للمدارس ذات المنهج األمريكي‬ T Why did you choose to send your child to an American Curriculum school? % .81 33. 14 (Respondents selected more than one answer.) % 33 We are an American family or have American citizens in the family ‫ﻟﻤﺎﺫﺍ ﺍﺧﺘﺮﺗﻢ ﺃﻥ ﺗﺮﺳﻠﻮﺍ ﻃﻔﻠﻜﻢ ﺇﻟﻰ‬ ‫ﻣﺪﺭﺳﺔ ﺫﺍﺕ ﻣﻨﻬﺞ ﺃﻣ��ﻜﻲ؟‬ (.‫)ﺍﺧﺘﺎﺭ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻄﻠﻌﻮﻥ ﺃﻛﺜﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺇﺟﺎﺑﺔ ﻭﺍﺣﺪﺓ‬ ‫ﻧﺤﻦ ﺃﺳﺮﺓ ﺃﻣ��ﻜﻴﺔ ﺃﻭ ﺑﻌﺾ ﺃﻓ�ﺍﺩ ﺃﺳﺮ�ﻨﺎ ﻣﻮﺍﻃﻨﻮﻥ‬ ‫ﺃﻣ��ﻜﻴﻮﻥ‬ We want to send our child to university in the US ‫ﻧ��ﺪ ﺃﻥ ﻧﺮﺳﻞ ﻃﻔﻠﻨﺎ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻮﻻﻳﺎﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪﺓ‬ We feel that American Curriculum is the best option in the UAE over other curriculum options (IB, UK, Indian, French, Philippines, etc…) ‫ﻧﺸﻌﺮ ﺃﻥ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﻬﺞ ﺍﻷﻣ��ﻜﻲ ﻫﻮ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺎﺭ ﺍﻷﻓﻀﻞ ﻓﻲ‬ ،‫ﺍﻹﻣﺎ�ﺍﺕ ﻣﻦ �ﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﺎﻫﺞ ﺍﻷﺧﺮﻯ )ﺍﻟﺒﻜﺎﻟﻮ��ﺎ ﺍﻟﺪﻭﻟﻴﺔ‬ (...‫ﺍﻟﻤﻤﻠﻜﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺘﺤﺪﺓ، ﺍﻟﻬﻨﺪﻱ، ﺍﻟﻔﺮﻧﺴﻲ، ﺍﻟﻔﻠ�ﻴﻨﻲ، ﺇﻟﺦ‬ We selected the school for its reputation or other reasons, not speciﬁcally for the American Curriculum ‫ﺍﺧﺘﺮﻧﺎ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﺭﺳﺔ ﺑﺴﺒﺐ ﺳﻤﻌﺘﻬﺎ ﺃﻭ ﻷﺳﺒﺎﺏ ﺃﺧﺮﻯ ﻭﻟﻴﺲ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ ﺃﺟﻞ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﻬﺞ ﺍﻷﻣ��ﻜﻲ ﺑﺎﻟﺘﺤﺪﻳﺪ‬ Other Parent insight: The culture and community of the American school was the best choice for the child and family 3 4 7.0 % 9.63 2 ‫ق‬ :‫�ﺅﻯ ﺃﺧﺮﻯ ﻷﻭﻟﻴﺎﺀ ﺍﻷﻣﻮﺭ‬ ‫ﺛﻘﺎﻓﺔ ﺍﻟﻤﺠﺘﻤﻊ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺪﺭﺳﺔ ﺍﻷﻣ��ﻜﻴﺔ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﻫﻲ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺎﺭ‬ ‫ﺍﻷﻓﻀﻞ ﻟﻠﻄﻔﻞ ﻭﻟﻸﺳﺮﺓ‬ % Describe how your child’s American Curriculum school is shaping him or her academically, socially, or culturally. “I want my kids to get from A to C even if B is missing. In their American Curriculum school, they are learning to think on their own.” ‫"ﺃ��ﺪ ﻷﻃﻔﺎﻟﻲ ﺃﻥ ﻳﺘﻮﺻﻠﻮﺍ ﻣﻦ ﺃ ﺇﻟﻰ‬ ‫ﺝ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻭﻟﻮ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺏ ﻣﻔﻘﻮﺩﺓ. ﻓﻲ‬ ‫ﻣﺪﺭﺳﺘﻬﻢ ﺫﺍﺕ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﻬﺞ ﺍﻷﻣ��ﻜﻲ‬ ".‫ﻳﺘﻌﻠﻤﻮﻥ ﺍﻟﺘﻔﻜﻴﺮ ﺑﺄﻧﻔﺴﻬﻢ‬ “I wish I had moved them [to an American Curriculum school] earlier. Both of my kids have shown great improvement in all aspects. We hope that we will have more options in the future with more schools offering American Curriculum.” ‫"ﺃ�ﻤﻨﻰ ﻟﻮ ﻛﻨﺖ ﻗﺪ ﻧﻘﻠﺘﻬﻢ {ﺇﻟﻰ ﻣﺪﺭﺳﺔ ﺫﺍﺕ‬ ‫ﻣﻨﻬﺞ ﺃﻣ��ﻜﻲ} ﻣﺒﻜ�ﺍ. ﺗﺒﺪﻭ ﻋﻼﻣﺎﺕ ﺗﺤﺴﻦ ﻛ�ﻴﺮ‬ ً ‫ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﻼ ﻃﻔﻠﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻛﺎﻓﺔ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﻧﺐ. ﻧﺄﻣﻞ ﺃﻥ‬ ّ ‫ُ�ﺘﺎﺡ ﺃﻣﺎﻣﻨﺎ ﺍﻟﻤ��ﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﺒﻞ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺨﻴﺎ�ﺍﺕ‬ ".‫ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻘﺪﻡ ﺍﻟﻤﻨﻬﺞ ﺍﻷﻣ��ﻜﻲ‬ “It improves their way of thinking instead of only memorizing content.” ً ‫"ﺗﺤﺴﻦ ﻃ��ﻘﺔ ﺗﻔﻜﻴﺮﻫﻢ ﺑﺪﻻ‬ ّ ".‫ﻣﻦ ﺣﻔﻆ ﺍﻟﻤﺤﺘﻮﻯ‬ “My son has become conﬁdent when speaking in or dealing with the public. Though he is a l ]H

American Education in the United Arab Emirates Issue 1 2015 | Page 16