Job satisfaction at 92%, parent appreciation at 91.7% and 81% say professional development positively impacts their teaching. Discover the UAE’s education data on World Teachers’ Day
Dubai: Data from the Education GPS platform, affiliated with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), based on the results of the International Teaching and Learning Survey (TALIS), revealed that the UAE ranked first in the Arab world and fourth internationally among 55 education systems in the community appreciation index for the teaching profession.
Around 78.4% of teachers in the country reported that their profession is appreciated in society, while Saudi Arabia recorded about 77%, Bahrain 69%, and Morocco 50%, in the OECD index.
The index showed that the UAE had a more advanced presence in the teacher-family relationship, as 91.7% of the teachers included reported that they feel appreciated by parents and guardians in their schools, placing the UAE second among 55 international education systems in this index.
These results give schools’ celebrations of Teacher’s Day a dimension that goes beyond symbolic recognition, as they reflect the profession’s social standing and highlight the relationship between the teacher, the student, the family, and the school, and the associated trust, professional support, and ongoing partnership that are reflected in the quality of learning.
According to the OECD report on the UAE, the sense of societal appreciation reached approximately 78% after rounding, compared to 22% on average for OECD countries and regions for which data is available.
The results also revealed high levels of job satisfaction, with 92% of teachers surveyed in the UAE reporting that they were generally satisfied with their jobs, compared to an average of 89% in the organisation.
The UAE’s superiority extended to the impact of professional development, as 81% of teachers confirmed that the development activities they participated in during the 12 months prior to the survey had a positive impact on their teaching, compared to 55% in the comparative average.
Respect goes a long way
Fawzia Hassan Gharib, the former Assistant Undersecretary for School Operations at the Ministry of Education, affirmed that Teacher’s Day represents an occasion to consolidate the teacher’s position in the awareness of students and society, and to acknowledge his responsibility in building the individual. She pointed out that true appreciation is embodied in respecting his specialisation, trusting his experience, and strengthening cooperation between the school and the family, which helps him to perform his educational mission.
She explained that recognition acquires sustainable value when it is coupled with a supportive professional environment that responds to the teacher’s training needs, gives him space to participate in the development of education, and instills respect for him in children through the family’s behaviour and communication with the school, and highlights his role in developing knowledge, values, thinking and taking responsibility.
Some schools brought together students, families, leaders and educational staff to honour teachers, in a scene that went beyond messages of thanks to recalling situations and experiences that reveal the teacher’s impact on students’ learning and building their personalities.
Teachers’ involvement is vital
Dr. Maher Hattab, Director General of Private Charitable Schools, affirmed that the teacher’s status is consolidated through a professional environment that values his experience, supports his development, and gives him a voice in educational decision-making. He pointed out that involving teachers in developing plans and teaching methods and supporting their initiatives enhances the quality of learning and places their field experience at the heart of school development.
Hassan Al-Maliki, a member of the school’s board of trustees, said that honouring the teacher gains its value through continuous support that shows its impact within the classroom.
Salem Al-Nuaimi, the director of the Al-Ahliya Al-Khairiya School – Samnan, stated that Teacher’s Day gives students and families an opportunity to express their appreciation, but the strongest messages of appreciation are those that tell of a real impact, such as a student overcoming a difficulty, discovering a talent, or gaining confidence thanks to his teacher. He emphasised that these certificates transform the celebration from fleeting words into an acknowledgment of what the teacher does in the lives of his students, and deepen their understanding of the magnitude of responsibility and effort that the profession requires.
The school’s deputy director, Dr. Amr Munjid, said that the teacher’s impact is evident in discovering students’ needs and talents, and intervening to address their difficulties, through diversifying teaching methods, follow-up, and cooperation with the family and specialised staff.
A teacher’s impact is found in students
He added that a teacher’s success is not measured solely by test results, but is also reflected in a student who is confident in their abilities, asks questions, participates, corrects their mistakes, and faces challenges with independence and perseverance.
The head of the social studies department, teacher Magdi Salah Salama, emphasised that a teacher’s true impact is seen in their students’ development, when a student moves from hesitation to participation, and from difficulty expressing themselves to formulating their ideas confidently. He noted that Teacher’s Day gains its true value when teachers hear the impact of their efforts from their students.
Mathematics teacher Hussein Shalabi Batti said that building the student’s confidence in his ability to understand precedes mastering the material, through simplifying concepts, diversifying examples, and turning mistakes into learning opportunities, stressing that family partnership enhances the teacher’s efforts and accelerates the student’s progress.
Teacher Sharifa Ali explained that the teacher’s mission goes beyond transmitting knowledge to awakening the student’s curiosity and building his ability to question, experiment and research, stressing that the most beautiful form of appreciation is for the student to recall an educational situation that prompted him to discover or develop an idea on his own.
Twelfth-grade advanced student, Uday Mahmoud Al-Saleem, said that his teacher’s support helped him overcome the difficulty in understanding some mathematics lessons by simplifying the steps of the solution, allowing time for questioning and practice, and following up on repeated mistakes. He explained that he has become more able to solve problems on his own, and that his message of thanks to his teacher is related to his patience and continuous encouragement.
Youssef Al-Khalili, a 12th-grade advanced student, explained that his teacher encouraged him to turn his interest in scientific experiments into a school project, and helped him organise the idea, test it, and present its results to his colleagues. This strengthened his interest in science and motivated him to continue researching and experimenting. He emphasised that his appreciation for his teacher stems from giving him the opportunity to discover and develop his abilities.
The teacher-parent relationship
The relationship with families has strengthened the teacher’s position, with the UAE scoring 91.7% on the index measuring teachers’ sense of appreciation from parents and guardians, ranking second among the educational systems included. The index measures teachers’ perceptions of how much families value them and is not a direct survey of parents’ opinions.
Parent Ehab Ziada confirmed that regular communication with his son’s teacher helped turn academic difficulties into a joint support plan. The teacher identified the skills that needed strengthening, and the family followed up on them at home, while continuing to exchange feedback to adjust the support according to the student’s progress.
Parent Emad Farid said that respect for the teacher begins at home, by instilling the etiquette of dialogue and appreciating his role in children, stressing that school observations should be discussed through approved channels, and after listening to the various parties, in a way that preserves the teacher’s status and ensures that situations are dealt with educationally.
For his part, parent Rashid Abdullah affirmed that appreciating the teacher translates throughout the year into following up on children, supporting educational guidance, and maintaining constructive communication with the school, noting that participating in Teacher’s Day celebrations gives students and families an opportunity to recall the impact that the teacher leaves on their children’s journey.
Empowerment and appreciation
Aisha Miran, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai, affirmed that empowering and appreciating teachers and improving the quality of their professional lives are key pillars in Dubai’s vision for developing education, based on their pivotal role in building minds and creating civilisations.
On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, Miran said that providing a supportive professional environment that enables teachers to perform their mission with confidence and efficiency is an integral part of the vision that places people at the heart of its priorities, and a fundamental pillar of the Dubai Education Strategy 2033.
She added that the occasion carries a message of appreciation and pride in teachers, as they have a lasting impact on the lives of individuals and the memory of generations, stressing that caring for and supporting teachers within educational institutions are two essential elements for improving the quality of education and enhancing its impact on society.
Source: Emirates 24|7