School Talk: UAE
Welcome to "School Talk: UAE," your go-to podcast for all things education in the United Arab Emirates.
Join us as we sit down with teachers, experts, and parents to explore schools across the UAE.
Each episode provides valuable insights and perspectives from those directly involved in shaping the educational experience.
Whether you're a parent, an educator, or simply curious about the state of education in the UAE, "School Talk: UAE" is your window into the dynamic world of learning in this region.
School Talk: UAE
International Community Schools: Communities Where Students Thrive
"Belonging is the heart of education." These powerful words from Mariam Shamma capture the essence of what makes International Community Schools - Abu Dhabi so special. In this revealing conversation, Mariam takes us from ICS's humble beginnings in a villa with barely 100 students to its current status as a six-branch educational institution shaping young lives across Abu Dhabi.
Mariam's unique perspective bridges multiple worlds – once a student at ICS, now its Project Manager, she's also the daughter of the CEO. This multifaceted connection to the school allows her to reflect on how creating environments where children feel they truly belong naturally fosters engagement, curiosity, and a love of learning. "If you feel like you belong in a certain culture that is created for you, then everything else will just come by default," she explains, highlighting how this philosophy has guided ICS from its inception.
The conversation delves into Mariam's personal journey with neurodiversity as someone with dyslexia and OCD, and how this informs her passionate advocacy for authentic inclusion in education. She challenges the checkbox approach to inclusion, arguing instead that it should be woven into the very fabric of school culture. "I don't believe in this whole special needs thing," she states candidly. "I have needs just like you, but they're just different."
Perhaps most revolutionary is Mariam's vision of breaking away from standardisation in education. She compares traditional schooling to an assembly line and advocates instead for a garden model: "You don't tell all the plants to grow at the same time. We create the conditions and allow them all to grow at their own pace." This paradigm shift – adapting systems to students rather than forcing students to adapt to systems – represents a fundamental challenge to conventional educational approaches.
Join us for this thought-provoking exploration of what education could and should be, and discover why belonging and community remain at the heart of ICS's mission as it continues to evolve and expand.
To find out more, visit https://www.icschools.ae/.