Khaleej Times

DUBAI, Dec 10: The Ministry of Education will start implementing the double promotion system within a few days to ensure faster academic growth for brilliant students in government and private schools.

A source at the Ministry of Education said that this system would allow distinguished students to pass two grades in one year provided that the marks are not less than 95 per cent.

The system, which will be applied for the first time in the country, comes as a move to eliminate waste in material and the time and provide an incentive for students and parents to shorten school years, the source said.

Dr Hanif Hassan, Minister of Education, had ordered the authorities concerned to complete a study of the project before implementing it.

The source added that the management of the programmes had given the final touches to the project and had drafted a resolution for its adoption in a few days. The system is expected to be introduced at the beginning of the next academic year. He added that parents should coordinate with the schools for joining the system before the end of the current academic year.

The ministry would announce the date of the acceptance of applications later.

Dr Aisha Al Jalahmah, the director of the department of the programmes of students of special abilities, said that Dr Hanif had agreed to the project in principle and the decision  will be circulated to all educational zones.

Dr Aisha revealed that the ministry had allowed only four cases for double promotion during the past few years. She added that the four students were promoted in both government and private schools in Dubai and Sharjah. They included Mohammed Abdullah Tofaha, a student of  International Queen Private School, Bijlani Prianka, a student of Choufeit Private Schools, and Abdullah of  Al Majd Government Model School.

Conditions

She said there are conditions for promoting the students where the student may be promoted to higher grades twice. She added that such kind of promotion starts from the first grade until the ninth grade. She emphasised that there must be a gap of two years between the first and second promotion.

Dr Aisha said that there were three types of promotion, the first one is the early acceptance, and the second one is leaping to another grade.  The third type of promotion is passing two grades in one attempt. She added that ministry of education selected the last type of stressing two grades in one and the student is given a certificate from the ministry.

Regarding the mechanism of promotion, Dr Aisha said that the student would sit for exams in the subjects  of  the two grades, the grade which he already registered in it and as well the subjects of the grade which he is intending to be promoted. He should get at least 85 per cent marks in all subjects to be referred to the upper grade.

The ministry’s criteria must be met by the student to be able to be promoted to high grades according to the double promotion system.

She added that they must be nominated by the school and the student must be at least collect the rate of 95 per cent of marks. Students will undergo tests and interview.

She said that she had accompanied the minister during his visit to Jordan to study the double promotion system, which is in practice there since 1994.