Being the second most populous city after Dubai in the UAE, Abu Dhabi is quite a haven with its sandy beaches and endless dunes. In recent times, the city has paved the way for many new developments in the education sector. And considering that there are 8.45 million expats in UAE, of which 2.5 million are just Indians, it goes without saying that there is an increasing demand for international schools and universities to cater to this community.
Surely, Abu Dhabi has many international schools that are big players in the education industry, however it’s easier to bring down your options to a few good ones that have great parent reviews and those that have made a successful mark through their excellent reputation.
In this post, let’s mainly concentrate on the beginning years of preschool education, specifically the Montessori program
What is the Montessori Method?
Let’s understand what Montessori really is, and how the Montessori curriculum can be of advantage to your little one.
The Montessori curriculum method was designed by Maria Montessori, who was an Italian Physicist, Innovator and an active contributor of innovative techniques for teaching.
She opened her first Montessori school in Rome in 1907 and established the world-renowned Montessori Method as an educational framework.
The Montessori Method is designed to encourage children to learn the art of self- initiation and increase their thirst for knowledge by providing them with wonderful educational tools. The main intention is to help children inculcate manners and self-discipline while they are learning these activities.
A typical Montessori class set-up has a variety of educational tools and activities that target a child’s fine motor skills, social skills and life skills. Therefore, this can be the ideal platform to give your child the much needed fundamental training to learn about the surroundings and increase their intellect through these stimulating activities.
Best Montessori Indian school in Abu Dhabi: Global Indian International School
Global Indian International School has been one of the few schools that has won several awards for its uniquely designed curricula and best practises.
Their 9GEMS Framework for all their students from preschool to grade 12 has won awards for its exceptional attributes.
The Global Montessori Plus Program (GMP)
GIIS’s GMP plus program is designed keeping in mind the overall growth of the child by using the renowned Montessori Method of teaching along with GIIS’s own pedagogy that focuses on futuristic learning methods using innovative tools in education.
Further to this, GIIS has devised the 5 pillars of GMP, which are built to provide holistic education to children.
What are these five pillars of GMP and how are they useful for your child?
1) Excelerate Program: The main idea behind this program is to help a child accelerate her learning curve and help her achieve early success in age specific skills like reading, listening and speaking. The activities to achieve these goals are made interesting to pique the intellect of the child. The children also have access to the Montessori lab to explore and this helps create an enthusiastic learning environment.
2) Multi-faceted Learning: This is on the basis of learning through specific themes that interests the child. The teacher adapts an interactive approach during these sessions that help build the character of the child and also improve the child’s motor skills and cognitive development.
3) iPlay Programme: This is an interactive play session where children interact with their peer group and learn the dos and don’ts of playing together. This instills in the child a sense of independence and helps understand the concept of cooperation and turn-taking skills.
4) iCare Programme: Here children are taught to respect their environment by including them in green initiatives and charitable activities. This wonderful approach helps children understand the importance of serving the community. Other aspects that the programme targets are integrity and honesty.
5) Future Ready Programme: In the future ready programme, innovative approaches and next generation practices are imbibed to help children adapt to our technologically advanced world through virtual labs and smart classrooms.
Extra-curricular activities at GIIS, Montessori Program
GIIS offers its students a number of Extra Curricular activities like sports, music, dance and arts inside its smart campus that has multiple spaces to cater to these activities.
There are also many activities and clubs that help students explore new interests and hone other existing skills. These activities are great to help children build their self-confidence and capabilities.
GIIS’s Teachers and Faculty
GIIS believes in open communication channels between students, teachers and parents. The teachers are friendly and understanding with the best interest of their students.
The administrative faculty are very helpful during admissions and also solve parent/student issues in a fast and timely manner
The nursery and Montessori teachers are trained accordingly and have the right qualifications for the job at hand.
Admission procedure
Age Criteria for Kindergarten in GIIS: Montessori children fall under these age groups
● KG 1: 3 years and 8 months as of 31st march
● KG 2: 4 years and 8 months as of 31st March
The admission procedure is quite smooth as compared to other schools. You can start by filling the enquiry form in the school portal and wait for one of the admissions counsellors to get in touch with you so as to apprise you of the next course of action. You can opt for a virtual campus tour to get a gist of what GIIS’s Smart campuses have to offer.
Fees Structure for Montessori in GIIS, Abu Dhabi
The fees for the GMP program for KG1 and KG2 adds up to 10,600 dirhams per academic year and this excludes other charges like registration fees, uniform fees, books fees and transportation.
Global Indian International School strives to provide the best of education on an international platform that is powered by the latest technological facilities. GIIS also takes the safety of its students quite seriously. They have a safe and secure campus with 24 CCTV cameras and during these pandemic times, stringent measures are taken to handle the situation with utmost care.
