Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) will roll out its Graduate Competency Framework across private and charter schools for the 2022-2023 academic year following a successful pilot phase in 10 schools.
The Graduate Competency Framework is a new educational approach that aims to equip students with future-ready skills. Designed by ADEK, the new framework will enhance the academic journey of students in grades 1-12 through competency-based learning, delivering vital new skills to prepare students for the future.
It will see students master 21 skills across seven key competencies: entrepreneurship, teamwork, critical thinking, cognitive agility, global citizenship, digital fluency and financial literacy.
The framework was approved and given a go-ahead for wider rollout by His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.
Sara Musallam, Chairman of ADEK, explained: “This framework will ensure our educational approach is fit-for-purpose in the 21st century and our students are ‘future proofed’ to face its challenges and seize its opportunities.
“Our students will be able to master transversal skills in real-life contexts and apply them in their areas of interest. We intend to equip every Abu Dhabi student with the skills, competencies, and values to succeed in life, as future-ready, respectful global citizens and responsible leaders with an embedded culture of independent, lifelong learning. We will prepare them for life as adults in their communities, for further studies, and for entering the workplace.”
ADEK will work with schools to integrate the competency-based framework into their curriculum via dedicated resources supported by project-based turnkey modules, co-curricular activities, public and private partnerships, and competitions. Schools’ senior leadership teams and teachers will be trained to implement the framework’s competencies, with teachers empowered to deliver learning modules as they see fit for their students.
“Teachers will have the freedom to use various formats of monitoring and assessment to qualify their students’ progression in the core concepts and competencies,” added Sara Musallam.
“Schools will assess students’ competencies progress at the end of every cycle, with grade 12 students graduating with transversal skills to support them in higher education and their future careers.
“To realise this goal, we are improving school academic programmes, upgrading policies, compliance requirements and inspection protocols, and strengthening parental engagement. We have already begun engaging industry partners to co-produce content and challenges that the students will be trained to surmount.”
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