Arbor Student Selected for Dubai Students Council

Arbor School is delighted to announce that Year 12 student Imani has been selected to join the second cohort of the Dubai Students Council, an initiative giving students a direct voice in shaping the future of education across Dubai. 

The Dubai Students Council was established by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) as part of the Education 33 Strategy, which places students at the heart of the emirate’s evolving education system. Council members have the opportunity to engage directly with KHDA, share the perspectives of Dubai’s student community and contribute to conversations around the opportunities, priorities and challenges shaping education across the city. 

Selection to the Council is a significant achievement. The inaugural cohort brought together just 16 students from 16 private schools across Dubai, representing a diverse range of curricula, nationalities and backgrounds. Members were selected through a rigorous process designed to identify students with the leadership and interpersonal skills to represent their peers and contribute meaningfully to the Council’s work. 

As a member of its second cohort, Imani will now have the opportunity to bring her own ideas and perspectives to this city-wide forum, while helping ensure the experiences and views of young people are represented in discussions about the future of education in Dubai. 

Imani said: “I’m so grateful to the KHDA for selecting me for the Dubai Students Council. Arbor actually nominated me, and I’m honoured that my school has trusted me to hold this role. All the students I met at the assessment day were amazing. 

“I’m excited to make a positive impact along with the rest of the Council, and hopefully make the students of Dubai proud.” 

Gemma Thornley, Principal of Arbor School, added: 

“Imani’s selection for the Dubai Students Council is a wonderful achievement and one of which we are incredibly proud. Young people should have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their education, and this Council gives students a genuine opportunity to contribute their ideas and perspectives at a city-wide level. 

“Imani is a thoughtful and articulate young person, and we know she will approach this opportunity with the same commitment she brings to school life at Arbor. We are very much looking forward to seeing what she and her fellow Council members contribute over the year ahead.” 

Imani’s appointment reflects the important role student voice plays within life at Arbor School, where students are encouraged to contribute to their community, engage with the issues that affect them and take an active role in shaping their experience of school. 

Congratulations, Imani. We are incredibly proud to see an Arbor student helping to shape the future of education in Dubai.