The importance of moral education

What is moral education?

Over the years, moral education has been defined in various ways.

In simple terms, however, moral education is the teaching of values that help a child distinguish between right and wrong. It also teaches the fundamental principles that guide a student’s behaviours and intentions towards others.

The importance of moral education cannot be underestimated. And as a school, we understand the huge responsibility we have in helping you instil these values in your child.

We know that the formative years of their life and education are the most important. It’s at this time we can mould and define their character, attitudes, and outlook. Our goal is to do this in a holistic way, by embedding values-driven learning opportunities and experiences into everything we do.

The importance of moral education in the curriculum

Our Personal, Social, and Moral Education programme is part of every student’s curriculum.

The programme will give your child meaningful time to reflect on their social, emotional, and academic needs, as well as their role as a ‘citizen of the world’. Lessons are delivered by their form tutors, bringing classes together in collaborative spaces.

In Primary, for example, students work together to create shared floor books, which are a collective record of their personal, social, cultural, and moral education experiences. They contain special memories, photos, and brilliant pieces of work. They also reflect our values and their experiences, creating a rich sense of community and identity.

The Ministry of Education’s Moral Education Programme

Every school in the United Arab Emirates teaches the Ministry of Education’s Moral Education Programme (MEP). This features four pillars: character and morality, the individual and the community, civic studies, and cultural studies.

Blending academic activities with themes focused on character and ethics, the MEP is taught over 12 years, from grade 1 to grade 12.

The MEP has four goals:

• To build character traits, such as resilience, perseverance, work ethic, critical thinking, and discipline. We also teach important skills for the future, including financial literacy, mental and physical wellbeing, and digital literacy.
• To instil practical and ethical values, such as tolerance, honesty, dignity, respect, and humility.
• To foster community by encouraging and enabling our students to engage with local life, people, and culture.
• To teach students about culture, both local and international, and encourage them to value the breadth of experiences, history, and traditions of the world.

At BIS Abu Dhabi, we weave the MEP into our Personal, Social, and Moral Education programme. We also explore the four pillars in school assemblies, where students discuss important ideas and take the lead by organising special MEP-themed activities.

A culture of helping others

We like to look outwards at BIS Abu Dhabi, creating opportunities for our students to help others – and play a role in both local and global communities. These service experiences will teach your child about important international issues and give them the chance to live and breathe our values.

The BISAD Diploma

From Year 1 through to Year 11, our students work towards the BISAD Diploma. They strive for bronze, silver, and gold awards by achieving academic, sporting, and creative success. They also take part in activities that nurture social skills like teamwork, communication, and a willingness to help others.

The Diploma will encourage your child to be their very best. The service activities they take part in, such as the mentoring a younger student, contribute to their final award.

Service and volunteering will continue to play a significant role in Years 12 and 13 when our students complete their Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), a core element of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Instilling a global perspective

Student are encouraged to take part in enrichment programmes that give them a global perspective. These include The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and our Model United Nations group.

Our collaboration with UNICEF will give your child the chance to explore world issues – including climate change and the UN Rights of the Child – and influence change on the international stage. And through the Nord Anglia Education expedition to Tanzania, they’ll have the opportunity to volunteer with communities, work on local projects, and develop new perspectives.

Becoming a role model

We want our students to become role models; inspirational individuals who learn from and look out for one another.

Interactions between students of different ages create a dynamic exchange of knowledge and perspectives, something we actively encourage through school-wide events like our House Day. Here, older students model behaviours for their younger peers, which is particularly important when it comes to embodying our values. They do this through several schemes, including our peer assisted learning programme.

A thriving community with strong values

The benefits of moral education can be seen in our classrooms, corridors, and common areas every day. Our students and staff create an environment where everyone contributes, lives by shared principles, and shares common goals. This will set your child up for success, laying the social and emotional foundations they need to thrive both now and when they leave us.