Music, sports and fine arts play a positive role in the intellectual development of a child. However, these subjects are not given much importance in the curriculum that is followed by most schools in the UAE. Studies show that in the UAE, the level of teaching of fine and performing arts in government schools is way behind many Western countries. In the West, children are encouraged to develop their talents in music, sports and arts by holding extra classes and with visits to cultural centres. UAE schools, however, tend to neglect such activities which have been proved to play an active role in enhancing children's intelligence.
Rather, UAE schools stress more on classroom teaching and disregard the mental pressure such methods pose for the pupils, which results in their exhaustion and feelings of apathy towards school. On the other hand, some schools employ foreign teachers, just to give an impression of excellence. Consequently, the resulting outcome is a hybrid system that hurts the pupils who do not benefit from such an arrangement. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that some educational authorities, guided by caring officials, have the capabilities to make pupils love their subjects. It should be borne in mind that there is always a need for pupils to take some rest to release their tension, especially in the first year when they need to be paid more care and attention.
Under the existing system of the UAE Ministry of Education, there is accountability in after class activity centres, whose task is to follow up with the application of plans and participation in contests and competitions.
Solution
We can find some excellent schools which have achieved distinction due to the efforts of the administration and teachers. Yet, sometimes some school administrators do not deserve their posts! The solution to this problem can be found by pushing successful schools to pass on their experience to schools which suffer from poor teaching techniques.
It is essential to develop the talent of pupils of all ages by either conducting special classes outside the school or even by dividing pupils into groups to carry out research as it would help them to be more innovative. Otherwise, talents fade and grow exactly like the body which will suffer weakness due to lack of exercise.
According to sociology, a baby is equipped with a certain ratio of intelligence and his/her development is subject to the surroundings environment. Enhancing a conducive environment helps to create the right condition for nourishing a child's talent. It should start from Kindergarten levels where the teacher play the most affective part in providing knowledge. Every child is a special case and is talented in a particular field which needs to be identified before directing the child study for a certain course of knowledge. This will help the child to carry out research by himself/herself without much reliance on the teacher. It is akin to the proverb that says: "Give a man a fish and you feed him a day, teach a man how to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime".
In this case, a pupil experiments and learns, instead of just being told what to do. Thus a pupil will be in a better position to analyse the problem, if any, seek information and discuss it with colleagues to reach the most important target of becoming a source of knowledge.
Music plays a notable role in developing brain abilities and adjustment with one's community. It is of great importance to support a child's liking for music by teaching him the finer points. It will make the child enjoy his subjects and also enjoy making friends in school.
The role of parents is also important in allowing their child to choose any subject s/he likes to study. Some parents force their children to pursue their studies in subjects of their choosing. The correct method is to give the child a test before registering him/her in the school. Afterwards, the child can choose the subjects that s/he wants to study. If the child is not interested in a particular subject, the child can be given more options.
Unfortunately, till now, society has not realised the distinctive role of orders in the development of the brain. Generally speaking, the interest of UAE students in learning fine arts is still weak. Some specialists in the educational field who are of the view that intelligence develops in the first five years, distinguish between development and growth.
For them development means building up intelligence through encouraging the child to solve maths problems in a fast way. The other methods used are tools and techniques to enhance photographic memory. This method guarantees supporting of genius because it is assumed that schools are places where talent is recognised and are not institutions where only maths and other subjects are taught.
This can be easily done by allowing children to enjoy arts and by encouraging them through educational techniques that follow exciting methods, instead of the traditional theoretical ones. Outdoor activities, not class activities, will awaken their love for other arts.
Dr Salim Mohammad is an independent Emirati writer, based in Dubai.
