Education in the 21st century has at its core the promotion of original thought, creativity and innovation. The move away from rote learning and repetitive memorization of facts has helped engender a new culture of inspiring children to use their imaginations to find solutions to problems, and subsequently develop a confidence in one's decision-making, which will be a tremendous advantage throughout life. In Abu Dhabi the emphasis on innovation is embedded in a number of strategic policies, including a call to build “an environment that fosters innovation, cultivates a healthy risk-taking culture and strengthens the research and development capacity” in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, and a call for an economic model of growth “driven by knowledge and innovation” in the Vision 2021. However, how does an education establishment begin the process of teaching creative learning and problem solving? What skills are required by teaching staff and what availability of equipment is essential to this task?

Redesigning the curriculum is of prime importance to constructing an approach that creates an environment where the student can feel at ease and confident to reach out and try something new in his or her learning experience. This desire for creative learning, and the problems involved, is not new to the UAE; Canada, Sweden and Finland, among many others, have also spent the last 30 years grappling with reforms in an attempt to promote educational equality and greater quality, particularly in terms of improved student performance as part of their response to the global economy.