A new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) takes a closer look at how Dubai’s schools have adopted well-being, outlining the impact of initiatives and programmes rolled out by Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in recent years.
In recent years, KHDA and Dubai’s private schools have pursued a number of initiatives to increase levels of happiness and well-being across the sector. Such efforts have helped raise awareness of the importance of well-being across the sector, according to the report.
More importantly, KHDA has encouraged school leaders, teachers, parents, and students to better understand the concept of well-being, not only in the form of daily habits, but also as a long-term commitment for themselves and the system as a whole.
In addition to initiatives such as the Dubai Adults@School Well-being Survey and the Teachers of Dubai campaign, KHDA has also provided several opportunities for teachers’ professional collaboration and development.
“Inspired by KHDA’s efforts, private schools are increasingly providing teachers with tools and information to encourage them to adhere to healthy habits that support their physical and mental well-being, and to help them cope with the challenges that arise from work,” the report stated.
School leaders, governors, well-being champions and teachers also heard from OECD experts to further understand the review at a webinar hosted recently. The sessions were designed to provide practical recommendations and insights on well-being in education.
The three online sessions focus on different aspects of the review – ranging from creating a whole-school approach on well-being to effectively improving teacher well-being.
The OECD report was released to educators in Dubai during a special session hosted as part of KHDA’s Well-being Festival.
The director for Education and Skills at the OECD, Andreas Schleicher, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that it is insufficient to assume that student well-being and strong social and emotional skills come as an automatic result of a good academic education.
“They need to be part of an intentional design of learning environments and the organisation of schools. Following recommendations from the ‘OECD Review of Well-being Policies and Practices in Dubai’s Private School Sector, KHDA is leading that charge.”
The new report also provides an overview of Dubai’s well-being journey and offers considerations on how to strengthen policies and practices.
The director general of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), Dr Abdulla Al Karam, said: “The pandemic has made us think about the true purpose of education, and the real value of well-being. There’s been so much progress in recent years when it comes to well-being research and well-being data, and we’re very happy that our private school sector is now part of that.
“We’ve learned a lot in this journey towards better well-being and now is the time to look towards the future.”
The new report calls on schools to further collaborate, learn, and engage in finding solutions that support the well-being of students and staff.
According to the OECD report, “KHDA is a strong advocate for student well-being, raising awareness of its importance, introducing data collection tools and encouraging stakeholder collaboration platforms.
School-level initiatives have also been introduced across the sector. The goal now is to ensure that policies and practices have a more significant impact in supporting students’ well-being.
The chief of Creativity, Happiness, and Innovation at KHDA, Hind Al Mualla, said: “The focus on well-being represents a big shift in how we’ve traditionally viewed the purpose of education.
“For us, well-being is a way of life. It’s not only important at school, but also at work and at home. We’ll be working closely with our community to put in place the recommendations of the OECD report.”
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