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Child development in UAE

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Introduction

Children development is a very important concept. Child development is a

sequence that involves biological, emotional and, psychological changes that occurs in

the life of a person from birth till the conclusion of adolescence (Gesell, 2021). A child

given attention and care during development is likely to be responsible, intelligent and,

healthier as compared to a child who faced challenges during development. In UAE,

many stakeholders have work jointly to ensure that child development is given enough

attention and that enough resources are allocated towards child development. In this

essay I will be discussing the role of parents, teachers, government organizations,

medical staffs, and law forces during child development in UAE.

Parents in UAE plays a critical role in the development of their children. Parents

have contributed to physical development of their children by promoting healthy eating

habits. Parents have taken an initiative to provide food that are nutritious to their children.

Parents in UAE are also actively teaching their children to perform basic and essential

tasks such as buttoning and ironing clothes. Parents have also contributed a lot in

cognitive development of the children. Parents are engaging with activities such as

playing with alphabets, practicing counting with their children, asking questions and

providing variety of games to their children (Moussa-Inaty, De La Vega, 2013). These

activities have helped in cognitive development of children. In terms of linguistics,

parents are the first people to teach their children about Arab language. Children begin to

learn Arab language from their parents. Parents also have a key role to play in the

development of social and emotional lives of their children. They have also been

encouraged to create an environment where their children will develop in terms of

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emotions. In terms of social development, UAE families are dynamic. Studies shows that

parents tend to show affectionate to children during infant stages. However, parents

become authoritative especially at puberty especially girls. Gender roles are also stated

out clearly by parents to ensure that children are responsible (Dillon, 2019).

Teachers in UAE contributes to students’ physical development by having

physical education lessons in the school curriculum. The physical education is aimed at

developing students’ confidence and competency while taking part in physical activities

either in school environment or home environment. The teachers understand that physical

education enables the students to analyze decisions before acting and make the best

decisions. The physical education further helps in reducing stress, promoting

concentrations in class and, encourages healthy habits. In order to improve cognitive

development of students, UAE teachers have employed the use of Cognitive activation

methods of teaching. Cognitive activation is a teaching method that is aimed at

developing students to be able to solve complex questions by increasing their capacity to

question, summaries and predict the questions (OECD, 2021). Some of the cognitive

activation methods that teachers in UAE applies are letting students solve complex

questions, giving tasks that requires critical thinking and having students work in small

groups to enable them solve complex problems. In terms of linguistics, all schools

subjects in UAE are using Arabic languages in all subjects, however, some teachers have

studied English with the aim of teaching English to students. This aims at developing

students language skills. In terms of social development, teachers instill values such as

empathy to students through activities such as Community Outreach Program to hospitals

and charities (Takriti, Eilhoweris, Artkinson, 2020). Curriculum enrichment programs

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have also been adopted by teachers to ensure that students obtain values that are

beneficial.

There are various government institutions in UAE that are aimed at promoting the

wellness of children. Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority is responsible for ensuring

that the early childhood development is of high quality. The organization ensures high

quality early childhood development by ensuring good health and nutrition for all

children, early child care and education, child protection and, family support. There are

also organizations such as the Dubai Early childhood Development Centers that are

dedicated for early childhood development and care. The Ministry of Community

development and ministry of education also put in place regulations that all nurseries

should follow in order to promote children development. Healthcare personnel in UAE

also plays a critical roles in the wellness of children. Doctors are responsible for children

wellness by Maternal protection in accordance with ILO Convention 183, making post

natal home visits during first week of child born, administering Rota and Pneumococcal

vaccines to newborns and, participating in community-based health workers campaign

aiming at identifying and managing pneumonia. Police Officers also contribute at

ensuring that the rights of children are protected. Police in UAE are responsible for

tracking down and bringing to justice all the individuals who deny children access to

health care, appropriate living standards, abuse of any kind and even discriminations

(Bailey, Roycroft, 2021).

In conclusion, children development in the aspects of physical, cognitive, social,

emotion and, linguistics have very huge impact throughout the life a person. The health

of the citizens, responsibility of all citizens, increased innovation and creativity in the
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country, all depends on children being given all the attention needed during development.

The government of UAE and all stakeholders involved should educate parents on ways to

bring up children in a proper way to raise children. Measures should also be put in place

to ensure that the wellbeing of children is put into consideration.

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References

Bailey, A., & Roycroft, M. (2021). Child Protection. In Modern Police Leadership (pp. 157-

170). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.

Dillon, A. (2019). Innovation and transformation in early childhood education in the UAE. In

Education in the United Arab Emirates (pp. 19-36). Springer, Singapore.

Gesell, A. (2021). Child development. Prabhat Prakashan.

Moussa-Inaty, J., & De La Vega, E. (2013). From their perspective: Parental involvement in the

UAE. International Journal of Sociology of Education, 2(3), 292-312.

OECD. (2021). Teaching in the United Arabs Emirates (pp.20-21).

Takriti, R. A., Elhoweris, H., & Atkinson, S. J. (2020). Examining the expectations of early

years’ teachers in the UAE regarding a successful start to school for children with and

without special educational needs. Early Child Development and Care, 190(4), 516-525.