Business Solutions / Case studies

Curriculum Solutions: Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC)

DEC International has worked with The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) in implementing its education renewal program.

ADEC aims to develop and implement innovative programs that:

• Improve education in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
• Support national development
• Lift students’ achievement levels to international standards

Demographic Analysis and Projection of School Enrolment Growth in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi project

The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) established a pilot program that observed some of its schools in the Emirate’s Public-Private Partnership program. This was a five-month project to conduct a demographic survey of the school age population in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and prepare 12-year forecasts of demographic movements. It provided enrolment projections for the Emirate by grade and by level of education covering the three education zones for Government and Private schools and each of the 323 individual Government schools.

K–12 Curriculum
The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) required an international-standard curriculum for its students from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

For each curriculum area, ADEC required:

• Content in the form of the knowledge, skills and values appropriate for students learning in the Emirate
• Content arranged into Strands, which highlighted how the curriculum was conceptualised
• Standards, benchmarks, teaching strategies and assessment procedures

ADEC contracted DEC International to develop a curriculum, initially for Kindergarten to Grade 5. We then won a competitive tender to develop the curriculum for Grades 6 to 9. This was later extended to include Grades 10 to 12.

We developed curriculum standards, teaching guides and parents’ booklet for:

• Five curriculum areas for each of Kindergarten to Grade 5
• Ten curriculum areas for each of Grades 6 to 9
• Thirteen curriculum areas for each of Grades 10 to 12

We delivered these resources to ADEC in both print and web-based formats.

We also delivered advice on information technology standards and carried out a review and analysis of matriculation processes.

Work to redesign and adapt the ADEC Curriculum for the UAE Ministry of Education for implementation across all Emirates is progressing.

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Summer Challenge

The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) contracted DEC International to provide a summer school program called the Summer Challenge, to be conducted at Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The program targeted national students from Grade 9 to Grade 11 who wished to improve their academic performance in:

• English
• Information technology
• Science
• Mathematics
• Languages
• Vocational education

ADEC particularly wanted:

• Strong focus on learning
• Greater emphasis on identifying and achieving key learning outcomes

Key achievements of the Summer Challenge programs were:

• Delivering world-class training through applying Australian knowledge and skills
• Awarding 800 certificates of successful participation to the Al Ain students
• Developing and implementing an enrolment and student record system
• Installing more than 300 computers each year in 16 PC rooms on two local networks
• Introducing students to hands-on, competency-focused learning
• Using extensive project monitoring and evaluation that provided the Al Ain Educational Zone with valuable feedback for future similar activities

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Vocational Education and Training

The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has a charter to:

• Enhance its education system by reforming its vocational education and training
• Complement traditional academic learning
• Provide multiple and flexible pathways between education, training and employment

The aim is to:

• Develop a vocational education and training system with a structured link between schools and the labour market
• Ensure high quality skill outcomes and competencies
• Enhance individuals' employability by providing nationally recognised qualifications

In 2007, DEC International won the major contract with the Abu Dhabi Ministry of Presidential Affairs and the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) to help develop and manage the Emirate’s first government-owned Vocational Education and Training Institute (VETI).

There are currently over 1,100 students at the Institute. Over 60% of these are female. Courses have been developed in conjunction with local industry to ensure that graduates develop market-relevant skills.

DEC International is assisting with the development, management, operations, staffing and curriculum in the Institute, and is developing administrative systems for the Institute. A plan is in place for the Institute to be staffed and managed entirely by Emiratis within five years.

The model used to establish the VETI can be replicated across Abu Dhabi, thus promoting social and economic benefits for Emiratis. The Institute will also open up broader employment opportunities for Emiratis.

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Major Events

In preparation for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Equestrian Events (Hong Kong) Company Ltd required workforce training and support for volunteers.

The program needed to include:

• Training needs analysis and planning
• Leadership training
• General training

The training focused on the Equestrian Test Event, which was held in August 2007, developing the skills and knowledge required during the following 12 months, in the lead-up to Beijing 2008.

DEC International:

• Carried out a Training Needs Analysis
• Developed and delivered a three-day residential leadership training program for approximately 220 core volunteers
• Developed and delivered other training programs for the core volunteers and approximately 800 of the second batch of recruited volunteers

We also assisted in:

• Recruiting and training 1,800 Olympic volunteers and 600 Paralympic volunteers
• Workforce training
• Supporting, planning and preparing workforce and volunteer Games-time roles
• Daily check-in and meal coupon distribution for the Olympic and Paralympic Games workforce

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Shanghai Expo

The 2010 Shanghai Expo required a human resources master plan that would:

• Analyse training needs
• Develop a process for training the Expo workforce to international standards

DEC International provided:

• Analysis of the workforce training needs
• Training master plan and action plans
• On-going support and advice on implementing the plans through to October 2010

Additional support including:

• Workshops on risk management
• Templates and guidelines for delivering and evaluating training programs
• Specifications for online learning programs

DEC International also developed and delivered a training program for the workforce of the Australian Pavilion, designed to accompany the International Venues Group’s Orientation Program.

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