More UAE institutions join the “Microsoft Showcase Schools” program

 Microsoft Gulf today announced the addition of GEMS Cambridge International School, JESS Secondary school and GEMS Winchester School to its Microsoft Showcase Schools Program; a leadership-focused initiative to highlight innovative management and teaching across globally recognized schools. As part of the ten Microsoft Showcase Schools in UAE, these schools will work closely with Microsoft to lead innovation in education and communicate a vision enabled by technology through transformational educational practices.

These three new schools join AL Amal school for the deaf, AL Ghob School for basic education, GEMS Wellington Academy, Princess Haya bint Alhussain school, GEMS-The Westminster school, Al-Baydaa for girls school and Mzeirea School; to become part of a vast global community of schools engaged in enabling digital transformation through improved teaching and learning methods. 

Microsoft showcase schools are based on four vital premises; leadership, school capacity, teaching and learning, and technical capacity. These schools are working diligently to amplify the use of technology for inspiring lifelong learning and stimulating development of essential life skills, empowering students to achieve more.

“Technology is an accelerator, but alone it does not enable change” Said Ahmed Ameen, Education Lead, Microsoft Gulf. “We believe the power of schools and its leadership are key to utilize digital technologies and create change in the way we teach and learn today. These schools are leading examples of how technology can increase student productivity and develop skills vital for the millennial workplace, allowing them to achieve more.”

The new group of schools added to Microsoft showcase school program will be honored with recognition and promotion through social media and Microsoft channels, and will also have the opportunity to share their expertise with world-renowned educators and specialists. Leadership teams of selected schools will be part of an exclusive global online professional community, and will have access to partner product trails, receive Microsoft early adoption opportunities and share their success stories through Microsoft solutions with peers and policy makers.

According to a GCC Education Industry Report, the total number of students in schools and universities in the UAE is projected to grow by 4.1 per cent annually until 2020, and the total number of students in the UAE is predicted to increase from an estimated 1.1 million students in 2015 to 1.4 million in 2020. This growth surge can be attributed primarily to the expansion of primary and tertiary education with an increased focus on higher education. In light of vision 2020, Ministry of Education in the UAE aims to develop more student centric models that are focused on improving student outcome, school life, and learning experiences; to meet world class standards as well as to promote national identity.

Microsoft supports this vision through helping teachers and school leaders connect, collaborate, create and share information so that students can realize and achieve their greatest potential. Showcase Schools is a key initiative devised to help educators effectively use Microsoft solutions (Surface, Office 365, OneNote, Skype) and discover new and innovative ways of enabling anywhere, anytime education for all students. 

To join the global community of Microsoft Showcase Schools program and learn best practices for transforming schools through technology, educational institutes can apply through a nomination process that is open throughout the year. Click here to learn more about the Microsoft Showcase Schools programme.