GEMS Education and Queen Rania Teacher Academy sign MoU to enhance teaching skills

• MoU designed to support GEMS educators teaching Arabic and Islamic Studies
• Three-year agreement will upskill and empower teachers in all GEMS schools
• Staff to gain from QRTA’s specialised professional development opportunities

GEMS Education and Queen Rania Teacher Academy have signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to strengthen the teaching skills and pedagogy of GEMS educators teaching UAE Ministry of Education Arabic subjects.

The three-year MoU will upskill and empower teachers and leaders across the GEMS network of schools via the most up-to-date strategies intended to build their capacity and improve student outcomes in the relevant subjects.

Commenting on the MoU, Dino Varkey, Group Chief Executive Officer, GEMS Education, said: “This agreement is a significant milestone in the overall Education Strategy for GEMS Education that was launched in late 2022. It reflects our commitment to continuously enhance the quality of teaching and learning across all our schools.

“It ensures that our teachers, who are and always will be the foundation of our organisation, have access to the latest pedagogical advances and professional development opportunities. We are delighted to be working with the Queen Rania Teacher Academy and look forward to a fruitful partnership.”

The MoU was formally signed at GEMS Education’s corporate headquarters in Dubai. Among those in attendance were Dr Osama Obeidat, Chief Executive Officer, Queen Rania Teacher Academy, who said: “We take immense pride in our partnership with GEMS Education, a globally renowned provider of high-quality education. Our commitment to supporting their mission and empowering educators with exceptional support and resources is unwavering.

“This collaboration is a powerful testament to our shared dedication to prioritising the needs of educators and working together to achieve excellence in education. We are particularly excited about leveraging our collective experience and expertise in the Arabic subjects to ensure that our professional development opportunities reach a wide audience, thus maximising their impact.”

Under the terms of the agreement, GEMS staff including heads of Arabic and Islamic departments as well as teachers will have access to a range of world-class professional development opportunities. These include specialised diploma programmes specifically designed for educators by Queen Rania Teacher Academy.

Dr Saima Rana, Chief Education Officer at GEMS Education and CEO/Principal of GEMS World Academy – Dubai, said: “Partnering with Queen Rania Teacher Academy allows us to further empower and upskill the already world-class teaching staff that serve in our schools. “The professional development opportunities provided form a key component of our ambitious and wide-ranging five-year strategic vision that reimagines teaching and learning while championing truly holistic education and digital transformation in the classroom.

“Arabic and Islamic Studies are an important area of focus for us as we look to raise the standards and set new benchmarks in these vital subjects, aligned to the priorities of the UAE’s education regulators and the expectations of our students and their parents.”

Other areas covered by the MoU, in the form of courses that will be made available to GEMS staff, include: the use of data to improve student attainment; inquiry-based learning, research, and the use of learning technologies; supervision, evaluation and professional learning for continuous improvement; pedagogical content knowledge and efficient teaching and learning practices; student engagement, autonomy and responsibility of own learning; and differentiation to meet the needs of all learners.