‘The Digital School’ is an initiative by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) to provide a certified online education to students who do not have easy access to formal education in the Arab region and the rest of the world. The initiative, particularly targets young people in refugee camps and marginalised communities, irrespective of their social, economic and educational backgrounds.

To realise the objectives of this initiative, an ‘Alliance for the Future of Digital Learning’ was formed to support and develop the Digital School’s systems across the various stages of implementation. The Digital School will have teachers that would be selected on their organisational and leadership skills and affinity to work with young people.

Curriculum and accreditation

The school will blend live and self-paced virtual classes in Maths, Science, Arabic, Computer Studies and English powered by interactive simulation, game-based learning and artificial intelligence-driven learning modules. Students will be assessed through interactive activities, tasks and digital engagement systems.

The school will seek digital learning accreditation from leading bodies such as Cognia, a non-profit organisation that accredits schools internationally. It will also coordinate with relevant education entities in the region to establish an accreditation model for digital education and provide curricula aligned with the national education system.

The launch of The Digital School

The initial phase of the school started in November 2020 with 20,000 students. This phase aims to test the digital systems, content flow and suitability for each age group, as well as students’ engagement and response to the curricula.

The Digital School aims to reach one million students by the year 2026.

Read related news coverage on the websites of Dubai Media Office and WAM.

• The Digital School