UAE private schools expect AI to become the new normal

The National

05-05-2025

The UAE's decision to make artificial intelligence part of public school education has drawn widespread praise and cautious optimism from private school educators. Seen as a decisive step into the future, the move is expected to spark AI momentum across the wider education landscape, where private schools are already beginning to embed AI into classrooms and teacher training. "This is exactly on brand for the UAE," said Dr Sonia Ben Jaafar, chief executive of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation. "We're not handing kids tablets and walking away. We're helping them ask better questions – who built this tool, what values are embedded in it and how do we shape it?" Announced on Sunday by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the policy will see AI integrated from as early as age four in all public schools. Far from being treated as a stand-alone subject, experts say a move to weave AI into maths, science, languages and moral education highlights the pervasive role of the technology in society. At Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, AI has already found a place in the curriculum. Pupils aged 11 to 16 interact with AI-powered chatbots, translation tools and creative applications such as AI-generated media projects. "It's not a question of if, but when," Abdulaziz Ahmed, the school's digital design teacher, told The National. Meanwhile at Gems, AI concepts are already being explored by pupils as young as six, focusing on digital literacy and foundational skills. "We are launching a programme where selected teachers focus on impactful AI and EdTech use cases, promoting best practices and innovation in education." Baz Nijjar, vice president of education technology and digital innovation at Gems Education, told The National. "In collaboration with Microsoft, we are developing tailored AI agents to transform teaching, learning and leadership within schools," said Mr Nijjar. Taaleem, another private education provider, has also launched a group-wide AI task force. "We welcome this progression," said Rebecca Gray, Taaleem's chief education officer. "These steps will ensure that educators in private schools are equipped to deliver high-quality, AI-informed teaching and learning, and align with the national ambition of preparing future-ready graduates who are empowered to lead in a technology-driven world," Ms Gray said. 'One of the most transformative elements is how AI improves accessibility,' she added. 'Whether through real-time captioning, text-to-speech, translation tools, or customisable interfaces, AI is helping us remove language and communication barriers, making learning more inclusive." For Dr Ben Jaafar, the shift is about more than teaching children how to code. It is about equipping them with the tools to understand and shape the systems they already interact with — whether in health care, media, or future job markets. 'Younger students may be learning maths and sequences,' she said. 'But underneath that, they're developing the reasoning that powers AI. In higher grades, they can analyse bias, build models and question outcomes.' Teaching AI, she said, is not about predicting the future, it is about preparing pupils to adapt. 'Content is no longer the point,' said Dr Ben Jaafar. 'Values and critical thinking are. We need students to navigate a world of algorithms with ethical instincts.' Nancy Gleason, executive director of the Hilary Ballon Centre for Teaching and Learning at NYU Abu Dhabi, said the challenge of working against rather than with AI is that school districts pass restrictive policies limiting AI adoption. She said this puts learners at a disadvantage "because old ways of learning are insufficient to thrive in this new era". 'We need to integrate this because the alternative is tackling notions of cheating rather than notions of learning," she said. Her centre is leading efforts to transform teaching practices, classroom environments and assessments at the university level, but she insists change must start in early education. 'When done right, this will increase teacher capacity and enable educators to personalise learning for more students." This, Ms Gleason says, will require serious reskilling and upskilling of educators, "but it is the work that needs to be done". "Many other countries have made this decision to integrate AI in elementary and primary education," she said. "Nations who want to stay competitive with human capacity and a thriving economy have no choice but to meaningfully and thoughtfully integrate this new and disruptive tool."