Latest news with #Kindergarten
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- General
- Glasgow Times
Renfrewshire nursery won national award for outdoor learning
West Johnstone Early Learning and Childcare Centre (ELCC) received the Alba Trees Early Years' Trophy at Scotland's Finest Woods Awards for its use of woodland-based learning. This award, presented by the Scottish Forest Commission, recognises the nursery's commitment to outdoor education, including daily sessions in Rannoch Woods through its Forest Kindergarten programme. The nursery also runs family forest days and provides forest bags to encourage families to continue outdoor learning at home. Children in Rannoch Woods (Image: Supplied) Children in Rannoch Woods (Image: Supplied) Read more: UWS project to help new nurses tackle complex healthcare needs Elaine Stevenson, head of centre at West Johnstone ELCC, highlighted the importance of outdoor learning to the nursery. She said: "We have a strong commitment to ensuring our approaches and links to the forest and outdoor environment are key to supporting and nurturing our children's wellbeing, learning, and natural curiosity. "We are committed to transforming the lives of our learners by providing daily opportunities outdoors to play and learn. "We are delighted to be winners in the Early Years category. "Our Forest Kindergarten sessions help children to collaborate both verbally and non-verbally and set themselves challenges and take valuable risks. "During risk-taking play, our children demonstrate perseverance, resilience, and determination as they control their body movements through climbing and balancing. "They apply concentration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. "Ensuring children are supported to spend as much time as they can engaging in outdoor experiences is an integral part of our vision here at West Johnstone ELCC." Children in Rannoch Woods (Image: Supplied) Children in Rannoch Woods (Image: Supplied) Read more: Two-child benefit cap impacting over 1200 homes across Renfrewshire Councillor Emma Rodden, convener of Renfrewshire Council's Education and Children's Services Policy Board, praised the nursery's success. Cllr Rodden said: "West Johnstone ELCC's commitment to daily outdoor learning opportunities and visits to their local woods is a fantastic experience for young children. "This award is well deserved for everything the nursery does to promote forest learning, nurturing children's wellbeing, and building resilience."
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- The Hindu
Class 12 boy of private school near Muthupettai arrested under POCSO Act for sexually assaulting a UKG girl
In a private matriculation school near Muthupettai, a 16-year-old Class 12 student was arrested on Friday under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for allegedly sexually assaulting a four-and-a-half-year old Upper Kindergarten (UKG) student inside the school's restroom. After the assault, the victim's parents discovered what had happened when she returned home from school. Upon examining her, they found injuries and immediately went to the school to confront the administration. The parents admitted their daughter to the Tiruvarur Government Medical College Hospital for treatment. From there, information was relayed to Childline and the police. The Muthupettai All-Women Police Station registered a complaint from the parents and, following an investigation, arrested the 16-year-old student. He was subsequently produced before the Tiruvarur Juvenile Justice Board and then remanded to a special home in Thanjavur.
Khaleej Times
25-06-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
New timetable: How UAE KG students will learn Arabic through music, games
Starting from the 2025–2026 academic year, all private schools in the UAE will be required to offer 200 minutes of Arabic classes per week at the kindergarten level. In response, schools across the country are revamping their early years curriculum to make Arabic learning engaging, age-appropriate, and deeply integrated into daily routines. According to the Education Department, Islamic Studies will also be taught to all Muslim kindergarten students for 90 minutes per week, the Ministry of Education recently announced. This may take the form of three 30-minute lessons or two 45-minute lessons per week. Deepika Thapar, Principal of Credence High School, said, 'Given KG students' developmental needs, our Arabic programme will emphasise play-based, multi-sensory learning through storytelling with interactive props, puppet shows, and music-based vocabulary activities. We are planning to implement a visual-heavy approach using picture cards, digital games, and hands-on activities that connect Arabic words with familiar concepts. Weekly parent-child phrase cards will bridge school and home learning. 'Our support framework includes comprehensive teacher training in early childhood Arabic instruction, ongoing coaching from Arabic language specialists, and extensive resource libraries with age-appropriate materials.' Schools are also planning to launch parent engagement programmes featuring family workshops and take-home activities. 'Quality assurance will be maintained through regular classroom observations, progress assessments, and feedback collection. Additionally, we're creating peer learning opportunities through buddy reading programmes with older Arabic-speaking students,' added Singh. Classes must also incorporate concepts of family, UAE geography, UAE environment, social values, and wider social studies into the kindergarten curriculum. Anita Singh, Principal of Global Indian International School (GIIS), Dubai, reiterated that the approach will continue to prioritise engagement, interactivity, multi-sensory experiences, and play-based learning, acknowledging young children's short attention spans and innate curiosity. Anjum Ali, Headmistress GIIS, added, 'We're currently revising our KG timetable taking into consideration the short attention spans of early learners; we intend to break down the 40 minutes into four sessions of 10 minutes across subjects. For age-appropriate, engaging Arabic teaching, we'll use songs, storytelling, puppetry, sensory play, and interactive games—creating a language-rich environment that aligns with KHDA's vision. Non-Arabic speakers will benefit from visual aids, dual-language prompts, and scaffolded interaction, encouraging natural language acquisition through meaningful play.' KG Arabic instructors to undergo KHDA-endorsed professional development KG Arabic instructors will undergo KHDA-endorsed professional development focusing on early childhood and dual-track techniques. Dr S Reshma, Principal-Director of Regent Gulf Indian High School Dubai, said, 'Several interim measures are being adopted. Timetable restructuring will be done by shortening or merging non-core sessions (e.g., PE, Music) to create dedicated time blocks. Rotational delivery model, ensuring all KG sections receive Arabic instruction daily through staggered scheduling. Split sessions will be organised, offering Arabic in shorter, age-appropriate segments (e.g., two 20-minute intervals). Embedded Arabic activities will be integrated into daily classroom routines (e.g., greetings, transitions, story time).' She explained that targeted training is being provided to KG and Arabic educators on early years language pedagogy. 'Co-teaching models and bilingual resources support consistent reinforcement. Parent engagement tools are being shared to encourage language exposure at home. Ongoing monitoring and feedback will guide refinements throughout the term,' added the principal.
Khaleej Times
10-06-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
'A positive step': School principals, parents hail new Abu Dhabi policy of teaching Arabic in nurseries
From recruiting Emirati teachers to lead Arabic teaching sessions to incorporating interactive storytelling and fun learning activities, schools are preparing to support a new policy that mandates all private schools to teach Arabic in their kindergartens and nurseries. Announced on Monday by Abu Dhabi's Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), the new policy mandates that kindergartens in private and educational partnership schools allocate 240 minutes (four hours) per week for Arabic instruction. It applies to all early childhood education levels, from nursery (pre-KG) to second kindergarten (KG2). The weekly Arabic instruction time is set to increase to 300 minutes (five hours) starting in the 2026–2027 academic year. While schools say they have already begun preparing and training staff to meet this requirement, parents believe the measure will help children develop Arabic communication skills from an early age. Several school principals reported that they had already introduced Arabic phonics and letter recognition in kindergarten in previous years, anticipating the challenges students often face when encountering Arabic for the first time in Grade 1. Others praised the initiative as a positive step towards multilingual development, aligning with the UAE's cultural identity. According to Adek, the policy aims to ensure that every child, whether a native Arabic speaker or a beginner in learning the language, receives consistent, high-quality instruction during this critical stage of language development. Despite the challenges schools may face in teaching non-native speakers, several have already planned to implement the policy in the upcoming academic year. Schools welcome the initiative K George Mathew, Principal/CEO, GEMS United Indian School – Abu Dhabi, welcomed the decision, praising its role in enhancing multilingual education and cultural appreciation among young learners. 'As an Indian curriculum institution with a strong trilingual education policy (Hindi/ Malayalam, English, French), we warmly welcome the decision to introduce Arabic in kindergarten,' he said. Mathew emphasised that early language exposure promotes cognitive flexibility, cultural understanding, and social development. 'To ensure a seamless and engaging integration of Arabic, we propose a learning-by-play approach, using interactive storytelling, songs, movement activities, and immersive play. These methods align perfectly with the developmental needs of kindergarten students, creating a fun and natural learning experience.' 'Our faculty members look forward to designing Arabic learning modules that complement our existing curriculum, turning language learning into an adventure rather than an academic task. We are committed to working closely with educational authorities to implement best practices and ensure children build a solid foundation in Arabic that sparks curiosity and enthusiasm,' he added. Parents support early Arabic education Parents have also expressed enthusiasm and a willingness to support their children's Arabic learning at a young age. Among them is Rawda Musabah who said the decision is important and that Arabic should be the foundation at the start of a child's education, noting that English can be learned more easily later. 'Today, we see a focus on English, which makes children always speak it and prefer it over Arabic,' she said. She added, 'It's okay, and there won't be any difficulties if it's during school hours. However, if it's added as extra time, it could be tiring for students, as their day is already long.' Fatima Abdullah, an Emirati parent, described the decision as a good one that would strengthen children's command of the Arabic language and teach them proper usage from the start. 'Our children need to learn Arabic from a young age. If they don't learn it now, it will be difficult to learn it when they grow up,' she said. She added that teaching Arabic to non-native speakers is just as important, given that they are living in an Arab country. 'I will transfer my son, who is currently in preschool, to a different school next academic year because I want him to learn Arabic intensively. In his current school, he studies Arabic only twice a week, which is not enough. Therefore, I will move him to another school where he will learn Arabic daily,' she shared.
Arabian Business
09-06-2025
- General
- Arabian Business
Abu Dhabi announces new mandatory Arabic rules for kindergarten pupils
Abu Dhabi has introduced new rules for mandatory Arabic lessons for pupils starting in the next academic year. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) announced a new policy that will bring Arabic into every private and charter kindergarten across the emirate, starting from Pre-KG to KG2, beginning after summer in 2025. The move aims to nurture language, identity, and belonging from the very first years of learning. Abu Dhabi Arabic lessons Under the new ADEK School KG Arabic Curriculum Policy, all young learners will receive 240 minutes per week of structured, age-appropriate Arabic instruction. This will increase to 300 minutes per week beginning in the 2026/27 academic year. The new policy ensures that every child, whether a native speaker or learning Arabic for the first time, receives consistent, high-quality instruction during the most critical phase of language development and has the opportunity to grow up confident in the language that connects them to their culture, community, and future. This initiative is timely as research confirms that young children learn languages most effectively and Arabic represents more than a subject, it is a connection to identity, values and heritage. ADEK's recent survey showed that while Arabic is widely spoken at home, many children still struggle to use it confidently. This policy bridges that gap with schools and families working together to keep Arabic alive and thriving. Learning will be engaging, built around play, storytelling, songs, and exploration. The policy outlines two tracks: One designed to deepen mother tongue skills for native Arabic speakers Another tailored for non-native speakers and newcomers This will ensure that each child is supported at their level, whether native speaker or beginner. And with specially trained teachers, modern materials, and exciting classroom activities, Arabic will become a language students look forward to using every day. Mariam Al Hallami, Executive Director Early Education, said: 'This is about more than just adding Arabic lessons. It's about giving every child in Abu Dhabi the gift of language, identity, and connection starting from day one. We want Arabic to feel natural, interactive and alive in every classroom and every home.' This new policy bridges the gap between Arabic learning in nurseries, implemented through ADEK's Early Education Institutions (EEI) policies, and the start of mandatory Arabic instruction in Cycle 1 in line with Ministry of Education requirements, supporting steady language development during the early years. Parents are also a big part of the journey. Schools will share tools and updates, so families can join in the fun, whether practicing new words at home, reading stories together, or taking part in Arabic-themed school events.
